Effect of approach-flow velocity and temperature nonuniformities on boundary-layer flow and heat transfer

The laminar flow and heat transfer on a flat plate subjected to nonuniform velocity and temperature profiles in the approaching free stream have been analyzed. The plate is situated in the laminar wake of an upstream plate. The extent of the approach-flow nonuniformities depends on the streamwise length of the wake relative to the length of the upstream plate. It was found that the effect of the nonuniformities is to reduce the wall shear and heat transfer on the downstream plate relative to their values for a uniform approach flow. Reductions of up to fifty percent were encountered. The extent of the reductions diminishes with increasing downstream distance, but nonnegligible effects persist to a considerable length along the plate.