Information About

Catalog description

Viscous layers and vorticity diffusion. Boundary layers: flat plate flow, integral solutions, and separation. Irrotational flow. Two-dimensional potential flow.

Prerequisite: ME 425 or equivalent

Who takes it

This course is usually taken by graduate students majoring in Fluid Mechanics.

What it's about

This is a second course in Fluid Dynamics, primarily for graduate students. Prerequisite is ME 425 or "equivalent" (meaning any graduate or 300 level course in Fluids or continuum mechanics). We will start from the Navier-Stokes equations and study the dynamics of vorticity. This will lead naturally to the subject of potential flows. The "paradox" of zero viscous drag would then lead to the concept of "boundary layers" and finally to flows where viscosity dominates - Stokes flow. The concept of asymptotic analysis will be introduced through the problems of the boundary layer, and, the lubrication approximation for flows through narrow gaps.

Assignment/Evaluation:

Homeworks, journal paper reading assignments, projects, mid-term and final exams.

Textbook:

Elementary Fluid Dynamics by D.J. Acheson.

Contact:

Professor: Sandip Ghosal
e-mail: s-ghosal@northwestern.edu