Measurements in the thick axisymmetric turbulent boundary layer near the tail of a body of revolution

Abstract

Detailed measurements of pressure distributions, mean velocity profiles and Reynolds stresses were made in the thick axisymmetric turbulent boundary layer near the tail of a body of revolution. The results indicate a number of important differences between the behaviour of a thick and a thin boundary layer. The thick boundary layer is characterized by significant variations in static pressure across it and an abnormally low level of turbulence. The static-pressure variation is associated with a strong interaction between the boundary layer and the potential flow outside it, while the changes in the turbulence structure appear to be a consequence of the transverse surface curvature. In order to predict the behaviour of the flow in the tail region of a body of revolution it is not therefore possible to use conventional thin-boundary-layer calculation procedures.