Richard W. Garvine
Published: 1966
Total Pages: 0
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Theoretical inquiry is made into the high speed viscous flow past a sharp-edged flat plate whose surface is aligned with the oncoming flow. Basic information is sought concerning the fundamental nature of the flow field in regions near the leading edge. The role of upstream conditions is found to be fundamental. Study is made of the viscous layer region on the two-dimensional flat plate ahead of the strong interaction region. The Navier-Stokes equations are applied to the flow up to the point where continum treatments are no longer justifiable. Two initial velocity profiles were assumed in order to examine the details of the theory. Neither form proved to yield realistic flow fields in the light of experimental results. Computations from these two profile forms, however, did serve to bring out the sensitivity of the flow throughout the viscous layer region to initial conditions. It is concluded, in consequence, that the flow cannot be described by similar solutions or other solutions which ignore these initial values. (Author).