A method of solving the three-dimensional laminar boundary-layer equations with application to a lifting re-entry body.

Abstract

A method is proposed in which the three-dimensional laminar compressible boundarylayer equations are reduced to a sequence of two-dimensional equations by means of a systematic perturbation procedure. The perturbation parameter is related to the inviscid streamline curvature which must be small. The equations of lowest (zeroth) order are identical with the small crossflow equations of Hayes. Two alternate finite-difference methods (for physical and transformed variables, respectively) are developed to solve the zeroth- as well as the first-order equations exactly. Local similarity methods are also considered for comparison. A variety of boundary conditions are possible including the case for which the heatand mass-transfer rates are coupled through an energy balance. The methods have been applied to the problem of boundary-laye r flow on a blunted cone at angle of attack. The results show that the crossflow often becomes rather large near the wall. The first-order corrections to the enthalpy and tangential velocity in the boundary layer are nevertheless small for the cases considered.