Uniqueness of the self-similar solutions of three-dimensional laminar boundary-layer equations

Abstract

The equations of the three-dimensional laminar boundary layer on lines of flow outflow and inflow are studied for conical outer flow under the assumption that the Prandtl number and the productρμ are constant. It is shown that in the case of a positive velocity gradient of the secondary flow (α1>0) the additional conditions which result from the physical flow pattern determine a unique solution of the system of boundary-layer equations. For a negative velocity gradient of the secondary flow (α1≤0) these conditions are satisfied by two solutions. An approximate solution is obtained for the boundary layer equations which is in rather good agreement with the numerical integration results. Compressible gas flow in a three-dimensional laminar boundary layer is described by a system of nonlinear differential equations whose solution is not unique for given boundary conditions. Therefore additional conditions resulting from the physical pattern of the gas flow are imposed on the resulting solution. In the solution of problems with a negative pressure gradient these additional conditions are sufficient for a unique selection of the solution of the boundary-layer equations. However, in the case of a positive pressure gradient the solution of the boundary-layer equations satisfying the boundary and additional conditions may not be unique. In particular, in [1] in a study of a three-dimensional laminar boundary layer in the vicinity of the stagnation point it was shown that for $$c = {{\frac{{\partial v_e }}{{\partial y}}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\frac{{\partial v_e }}{{\partial y}}} {\frac{{\partial u_e }}{{\partial x}}}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\frac{{\partial u_e }}{{\partial x}}}} > 0$$ the solution is unique, while for c<0 there are two solutions. In the present paper we study the question of the uniqueness of the self-similar solution of the three-dimensional laminar boundary-layer equations on lines of flow outflow and inflow for a conical outer flow.