Potential flow theory boundary conditions

In spite of this, we shall see that potential-flow theory plays an important role in the development of asymptotic solutions for Re i>> 1. Indeed, if we compare the assumptions and analysis leading to (10-9) and then to (10-12) with the early steps in analysis of heat transfer at high Peclet number, it is clear that the solution to = 0 is a valid first approximation lor Re y> 1 everywhere except in the immediate vicinity of the body surface. There the body dimension, a, that was used to nondimensionalize (10-1) is not a relevant characteristic length scale. In this region, we shall see that the flow develops a boundary layer in which viscous forces remain important even as Re i>> 1, and this allows the no-shp condition to be satisfied. 

Boundary layer flows are a special class of flows in which the flow far from the surface of an object is inviscid, and the effects of viscosity are manifest only in a thin region near the surface where steep velocity gradients occur to satisfy the no-slip condition at the solid surface. The thin layer where the velocity decreases from the inviscid, potential flow velocity to zero (relative velocity) at the sohd surface is called the boundary layer The thickness of the boundary layer is indefinite because the velocity asymptotically approaches the free-stream velocity at the outer edge. The boundaiy layer thickness is conventionally t en to be the distance for which the velocity equals 0.99 times the free-stream velocity. The boundary layer may be either laminar or turbulent. Particularly in the former case, the equations of motion may be simphfied by scaling arguments. Schhchting Boundary Layer Theory, 8th ed., McGraw-HiU, New York, 1987) is the most comprehensive source for information on boundary layer flows. 

In potential flow, the stream function and the potential function are used to represent the flow in the main body of the fluid. These ideal fluid solutions do not satisfy the condition that = Vy = 0 on the wall surface. Near the wall we have viscous drag and we use boundary-layer theory where we obtain approximate solutions for the velocity profiles in this thin. boundary layer taking into account viscosity. This is discussed in Section 3.10. Then we splice this solution onto the ideal flow solution that describes flow outside the boundary layer. 

Though there is fluid flow in the bulk of the electrolyte, it is found that there is a layer adjacent to the electrode in which the electrolyte is stationary, or stagnant. Thus the electron acceptors travel by convection from the bulk up to the stagnant layer and then cross the remaining boundary layer by diffusion. This transport by a convection-with-diffusion mechanism has not been taken into account so far. The equations for the time and space variation of concentration [i.e., Eq. (7.178)], for the transition time [Eq. (7.190)], and for the time variation of potential [Eq. (7.192)] have been derived for convection-free conditions, and they break down when convection becomes significant. The first approximation theory given above, therefore, deviates from experiment if the constant current is applied sufficiently long (times on the order of seconds) for convection to be important. 

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