On the behaviour of the laminar boundary-layer equations of mixed convection near a point of zero skin friction

Abstract

The boundary-layer equations of mixed convection are examined in the vicinity of separation. The correlation between the uniform wall temperature case and that of compressible boundary layer flow is outlined. Goldstein–Stewartson–Buckmaster theory is thus appropriate and associated indeterminacies in the theory are evaluated from a numerical integration. The case of uniform heat flux at the wall is then examined theoretically. Significantly it is concluded that the original Goldstein–Stewartson theory is sufficient to describe the structure of the singularity at separation in this case. Indeterminacies associated with the theory are determined via a reconciliation between analytical and numerical representation of skin friction and heat transfer coefficients near separation.