Characterizing boundary-layer instability at finite Reynolds numbers
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
title: Characterizing boundary-layer instability at finite Reynolds numbers
zbMATH Open document ID: 0945.76019
DOI: 10.1016/S0997-7546(98)80060-5
published in: European Journal of Mechanics. B. Fluids
publication date: 1999-05-02T00:00:00Z
review text: The author investigates the stability of adverse pressure gradient boundary layers using Orr-Sommerfeld theory and Falkner-Skan similarity profiles in order to characterize viscous and inviscid instabilities under practical conditions. The results elucidate appropriate scalings of asymptotic large-Reynolds-number theories. In particular, it is shown that viscous instability, usually associated with the lower branch of the neutral curve, extends up to the upper branch of the neutral curve, and is separated from the inviscid instability by a kink in the neutral curve. The rather unexpected conclusion is that, even for relatively strong adverse pressure gradients, the transition seems likely to be driven by an essentially viscous instability mechanism despite the presence of an inflection point.
reviewed by: Werner Koch
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 76E05
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 76D10
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 76M45
zbMATH DE Number: 1282951
zbMATH Keywords: large-Reynolds-number scaling
zbMATH Keywords: adverse pressure gradient
zbMATH Keywords: Orr-Sommerfeld theory
zbMATH Keywords: Falkner-Skan similarity profiles
zbMATH Keywords: neutral curve
zbMATH Keywords: inviscid instability
zbMATH Keywords: viscous instability
zbMATH Keywords: inflection point
author: Jonathan J. Healey
MaRDI profile type: Publication
cites work: The upper branch stability of the Blasius boundary layer, including non-parallel flow effects
cites work: Q3309296
cites work: Q3896709
cites work: Non-parallel stability of a flat-plate boundary layer using the complete Navier-Stokes equations
cites work: On the effects of boundary-layer growth on flow stability
cites work: Stability of spatially developing boundary layers in pressure gradients
cites work: On the neutral curve of the flat-plate boundary layer: comparison between experiment, Orr–Sommerfeld theory and asymptotic theory
cites work: A new boundary layer resonance enhanced by wave modulation: theory and experiment
cites work: Time-dependent critical layers in shear flows on the beta-plane
cites work: Variable Mesh Numerical Method for Solving the Orr-Sommerfeld Equation
cites work: Absolute instability of the boundary layer on a rotating disk
cites work: The flat plate boundary layer. Part 3. Comparison of theory with experiment
cites work: On the non-parallel flow stability of the Blasius boundary layer
cites work: Nonlinear stability of boundary layers for disturbances of various sizes
cites work: On the development of large-sized short-scaled disturbances in boundary layers
description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1282951