Boundary-layer development on circular cylinders

Mean-velocity measurements were made in the boundary layer on a smooth circular cylinder fitted with trip wires to model supercritical flow. The data are compared with the predictions of a boundary-layer calculation method to study the relative influence of surface curvature and low-Reynolds-number effects, and to assess the accuracy with which the location of separation can be determined. It is shown that the effects of surface curvature are most important close to separation while those of low Reynolds numbers are significant everywhere except near separation.