Effect of bulk viscosity on a hypersonic boundary layer

Abstract

The bulk viscosity μb is generally set equal to zero (Stokes’ hypothesis). For certain gases, such as CO2, μb/μ exceeds 103, where μ is the shear viscosity. In this circumstance, the bulk viscosity may substantially alter a hypersonic boundary layer. A general, nonsimilar, laminar, boundary-layer formulation is provided in which the bulk viscosity terms are included as a correction. To obtain explicit results, flow over a flat plate is considered. In addition to the heat transfer, the transverse pressure gradient inside the boundary layer is not zero, whereas the skin friction is unaltered by the bulk viscosity. This analysis is relevant to aerogravity-assisted maneuvers in planetary atmospheres that largely consist of CO2.