Jeffery-Hamel boundary-layer flows over curved beds

Abstract

We find certain exact solutions of Jeffery-Hamel type for the boundary-layer equations for film flow over certain beds. If β is the angle of the bed with the horizontal and S is the arclength these beds have equation sin β = (const.)S−3, and allow a description of flows on concave and convex beds. The velocity profiles are markedly different from the semi-Poiseuille flow on a plane bed.We also find a class of beds in which the Jeffery-Hamel flows appear as a first approximation throughout the flow field, which is infinite in streamwise extent. Since the parameter γ specifying the Jeffery-Hamel flow varies in the streamwise direction this allows a description of flows over curved beds which are slowly varying, as described in the theory, in such a way that the local approximation is that Jeffery-Hamel flow with the local value of γ. This allows the description of flows with separation and reattachment of the main stream in some cases.