Laminar Flow Over a Flat Plate - Simulation Example

Overview

In the real world, when a fluid is flowing over an object, a boundary layer develops in the flow next to the wall due to the fluid sticking to the surface. This boundary layer affects the flow field over the object. For example, boundary layers on aircraft wings are the main sources of the viscous drag on the aircraft. While most practical boundary layers are turbulent, a study of a classical laminar boundary layer presented in this example is an important step in understanding its physics and in validating computational methods.

Objective

The main goal of this simulation is to simulate the laminar flow over a flat plate and visualize the velocity profile close to the solid boundary. We also want to compare the velocity profile obtained from an Ansys Fluent simulation with the analytical solution (Blasius solution).

Setup

Download the Mesh file needed for setting up the simulation and the associated Case & Data files here. Follow the instructions below to set up this simulation in Ansys Fluent starting with the Mesh file. In case you face any issues setting up or running the simulation, please refer to the corresponding initial and final Case and Data files.

Alternate video link.

Results and Discussion

Let us now analyze the simulation results and understand the physics of the flat plate boundary layer.