Laminar flow over a small hump on a flat plate

Abstract

A boundary layer flows over a flat plate which has on it a small hump situated downstream of the leading edge. The description of the boundary-layer flow, based upon a triple-deck structure, shows how the presence of the hump generates an interaction between the inviscid region just outside the layer and the viscous region near the hump. The pressure force dominant in the boundary layer and the connexion of the local flow with the main stream develop together and are self-perpetuating, and both remain of primary significance for a wide range of hump sizes, even for a hump buried well inside the boundary layer. By consideration of the limiting cases of very small and very large humps, a consistent account of the nature of the disturbances due to the various sizes of hump is produced. The forces and couples on the hump are also evaluated.