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NASA TECHNICAL NOTE NASA TN D-6945

CASE FILE
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CHARTS FOR PREDICTING

TURBULENT SKIN FRICTION
FROM THE VAN DRIEST METHOD (11)

by Edward J. Hopkins
Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, Cali$ 94035

N A T I O N A L AERONAUTICS A N D SPACE ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON, D. C. OCTOBER 1972

 PREDICTING TURBULENT SKIN FXICTION

NASA Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, Calif. 94035

Charts are presented for rapidly estimating local or average turbulent skin friction on flat plates from Reynolds
numbers based on either length or momentum thickness. These charts facilitate, therefore, the conversion from one Reynolds
number to the other. Ranges of variables covered are: Mach nt~mber,0 to 10; length Reynolds number, lo5 t o 10'; and
wall-to-adiabatic-wall temperature ratio, 0.2 to 1.O.

Turbulent skin friction on nonadiabatic flat plates Unclassified - Uiilintited

Mach number effects
Reynolds number effects

' For sale by the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151
 NOTATION

A constant defined by equation (14) and used in equations (i2) and (13)

B constant defined by equation (15) and used in equations (12) and (1 3)

7w
local skin-friction coefficient,
cf 112 peUe2

c~ average skin-friction coefficient, J o' C ~d;

1w
F temperature ratio,-
Te

Fc transformation function for skin-friction coefficient,- Cf or-CF

Cf CF

i? ex
Fx transformation function for length Reynolds number,-----
R ex

Re,
Fe transformation function for momentum-thickness Reynolds number,-
Re,

h static enthalpy

H total enthalpy

L length of turbulent boundary-layer flow

m Mach number factor used in equations (8), (14), and (15), 0.2Me2

M Mach number

r temperature recovery factor for a turbulent boundary layer, r = 0.88

P e UeL
Rex Reynolds number based on length of turbulent boundary-layer flow,-
Pe

P euee
Re0 Reynolds number based on momentum thickness,------
Pe

T absolute temperature
velocity

longitudinal distance

distance measured normal to surface

constant defined by equation (12) and used in equation (8)

constant defined by equation (13) and used in equation (8)

boundary-layer thickness

viscosity of air as given by Keyes' formula, reference 6

mass density

local shear stress

boundary-layer momentum thickness,["p~ I)$(- dy

incompressible or variable transformed to equivalent constant property case

Subscripts

adiabatic wall

boundary-layer edge

wall
 CHARTS FOR PREDICTING TURBULENT SKIN FRICTION

FROM THE VAN DRIEST METHOD (11)

Edward J. Hopkins

Ames Research Center

SUMMARY

Charts are presented for rapidly estimating local or average turbulent skin friction on flat plates
from Reynolds numbers based on either length or momentum thickness. These charts facilitate,
therefore, the conversion from one Reynolds number to the other. Ranges of variables covered
are: Mach number, 0 to 10; length Reynolds number, lo5 to lo9 ; and wall-to-adiabatic-wall
temperature ratio, 0.2 to 1.0.

INTRODUCTION

An evaluation in reference 1 of the methods for predicting turbulent skin friction on flat
surfaces, with and without heat transfer throughout a Mach number range from 1.5 to 9, indicated
that the Van Driest method (11)' (ref. 2) gave the most satisfactory agreement with the experi-
mental results. Other methods examined in reference 1 were those of Sommer and Short (ref. 3),
Spalding and Chi (ref. 4), and Coles (ref. 5). This evaluation was based, wherever possible, on
direct measurements of skin friction by balances and the use of the momentum-thickness Reynolds
number.

Van Driest presented his method in the form of a nomogram for estimating local and average
skin friction from the length Reynolds number only. Skin friction was not presented by Van Driest
as a function of momentum-thickness Reynolds number, a form of presentation that has become
widely used in recent years for the analysis of skin-friction data. The present charts, therefore,
present skin friction as a function of both the length Reynolds number and the momentum-
thickness Reynolds number to facilitate conversion from one Reynolds number to the other.
Effects are indicated for employing the more accurate viscosity formula of Keyes (ref. 6), instead
of a power viscosity formula, and a temperature recovery factor of 0.88, instead of 1.0 assumed
by Van Driest.

VAN DRIEST METHOD (11)

The Van Driest method (11) can be thought of as a transformation method, for which it is
necessary to choose an incompressible formula relating the skin-friction coefficient to the

he (11) refers to the second theory of Van Driest in which the von K&ma'n mixing length is assumed.
Reynolds number. In reference 7, it is shown that the Schoenherr formula (ref. 8) for average
skin friction gives a good representation of incompressible data over a length Reynolds number
range from about-3 X l o 5 to 4.5 X l o 8 . Outside this range of Reynolds numbers, insufficient data
exist to corroborate the Schoenherr formula. This formula, also known as the K5rma'n-TSchoenherr
formula, is

By differentiating equation 1 with respect to length, Schoenherr found the relation between
the local and average skin friction to be

Also, from the simplified boundary-layer continuity and momentum equations, the average skin-
friction coefficient on surfaces without longitudinal pressure gradients is

Skin friction for compressible boundary-layer flow was calculated from equations (1), (2), and (3),
as well as the Van Driest (11) transformation functions given in reference 1, as defined by the
following equations:

where

Fc = rrn/(sin-' cr + sin" P ) ~ (for M e f 0) (8)

FC = [(I + d z T e ) I 2 1 (for M e -+ 0) (9)

2 ~ nreference 9 (pp. 127 and 128), it is shown how the form of equation (1) was derived by von K&rngn from the law-
of-the-wall and velocity defect formulas; however, the constant of integration, which appears in both the original von K & I I I ~ ~
and Schoenherr formulas, was found to be zero by Schoenherr and is not included.
Equation (10) is from the Keyes formula for viscosity (ref. 6), which should give more accurate
values than the Sutherland formula at low temperatures, Te a 55.6" K (100" R). At temperatures
above about 11 1" K (200" R), these two formulas give values of viscosity that agree within
3 percent. Equations (14) and (15) contain a temperature recovery factor (r), which was assumed
to be 1.0 for the nomogram of reference 2. Analysis of skin-friction data in reference 1 indicates
that assuming r = 0.88 results in improved predictions of such data.

Also, the adiabatic wall temperature used in the wall-to-adiabatic-wall temperature ratios
given on each figure corresponds to the adiabatic-wall enthalpy given by

PRESENTATION OF RESULTS

Local and average skin-friction coefficients are presented both as a function of the length
Reynolds numbers (Rex) and the momentum-thickness Reynolds number (Reg) for two different
temperatures: Te = 55.6" K (100" R) in figures 1 and 2; Te = 222" K (400" R) in figures 3 and 4.
Figure 5 can be used to estimate the effect on skin friction of temperatures other than 222" K
(400" R). Although correction factors in figure 5 were calculated for Me = 5, it was found that
they also apply to 0 < Me < 10 within 1 percent. Figure 5 is used by multiplying the Cf (or CF's)
from figures 3 and 4, respectively, times the factor from figure 5 for a particular Te. For con-
venience, Rex is presented as a function of Reg for Te = 55.6" K (100" R) and lo6 < Rex < l o 9 ,
in figure 6. For other temperatures considered herein, the Reynolds number conversion obtained
from figure 6 is within 5 percent of the correct value. For Rex < l o 6 , or for more accurate
conversions, figures 1 through 4 should be used.

The figures in which the results appear are summarized in table 1.

TABLE 1 .- DATA SUMMARY

Figure Te Quantities plotted

1 55.6" K (100" R) Cf versus Reg and Rex

2 55.6" K (100" R) CF versus Reg and Rex

3 222" K (400" R) C'versus Reg and Rex

4 222" K (400" R) CF versus Reg and Rex

5 27.8" K-222" K (50" R-400°R) cf and

= 222" K(400° R)
CF
'F, T E = 222" K(400° R)
versus Te
6 55.6" K (100" R) Rex versus Reg

VISCOSITY AND TEMPERATURE RECOVERY-FACTOR EFFECTS

Effects related to the choice of temperature recovery factor and viscosity formula are
indicated for the extreme flow conditions of the charts in table 2.

In general, the calculated effects on skin friction resulting from changes in the recovery
factor or viscosity formula were less than 6 percent; however, for some isolated conditions,
for example, M e = 10 and TWITaw= 0.2, the effects were greater than 6 percent.
 TABLE 2.- EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN VISCOSITY AND TEMPERATURE
RECOVERY-FACTOR ON C'

Ames Research Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Moffett Field, California 94035, July 20, 1972
 REFERENCES

1. Hopkins, Edward J.; and Inouye, Mamoru: An Evaluation of Theories for Predicting Tuibulcnt Skin Friction
and Heat Transfer on Flat Plates at Supersonic and Hypersonic Mach Numbers. AIAA J., vol. 9, no. 6,
June 1971, pp. 993-1003.

2. Van Driest, E. R.: Problem of Aerodynamic Heating. Aeron. Eng. Rev., vol. 15, no. 10, Oct. 1956, pp. 26-41.

3. Sommer, Simon C.; and Short, Barbara J.: Free-Flight Measurements of Turbulent Boundary-Layer Skin
Friction in the Presence of Severe Aerodynamic Heating at Mach Numbers from 2.8 to 7.0. NACA TN 3391,
1955. (Also J. Aeron. Sci.,vol. 23, no. 6, June 1956, pp. 536-542.)

4. Spalding, D. B.; and Chi, S. W.: The Drag of a Compressible Turbulent Boundary Layer on a Smooth Flat
Plate With and Without Heat Transfer. J. Fluid Mech., vol. 28, pt. 1, Jan. 1964, pp. 117-143.

5. Coles, D. E.: The Turbulent Boundary Layer in a Compressible Fluid. The Physics of Fluids, vol. 7, no. 9,
Sept. 1964, pp. 1403-1423. (Also Rep. R-403-PR, 1962, Rand Corp.)

6. Keyes, F. G.: A Summary of Viscosity and Heat Conduction Data for He, A, H2, 0 2 , N2, CO2, H 2 0 and Air.
Trans. Amer. Soc. Mech. Engrs., vol. 73, 1951, pp. 589-596. (Also, Keyes, F. G.: The Heat Conductivity,
Viscosity and Viscosity Specific Heat and Prandtl Number for Thirteen Gases. Project Squid, Mass. Insti.
Tech., TR 37 (1952).)

7. Nestler, D. E.; and Goetz, R.: Survey of Theoretical and Experimental Determinations of Skin Friction in
Compressible Boundary Layers, Part 11. The Turbulent Boundary on a Flat Plate. Gen. Electric, Missile
and Ordnance Systems Dept., Tech. Info. Series No. R58SD270, Jan. 29,1959.

8. Schoenherr, Karl E.: Resistance of Flat Surfaces Moving Through a Fluid. Soc. Naval Architects and Marine
Engineers, vol. 40, 1932, pp. 279-3 13.

9. Schubauer, G. B.; and Tchen. G. M.: Turbulent Flow. Section B, Chap. 1 of vol. V, entitled "High Speed Aero-
dynamics and Jet Propulsion - Turbulent Flows and Heat Transfer," edited by C. C. Lin, Princeton, New
Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1959.
 10
Re0
( a ) Cf vs Ree (T,/T,, = 0.2)

F i g u r e 1.- Zoca.1 skirr f r i c t i o n p r e d i c t e d by t h e Van D r i e s t method (IS);

T, = 55.6OK (IOO'R),
 Rex
(b) Cf vs Re, (T,/T,, = 0.2)

Figure 1.- Continued.

 10
Ree
( c ) Cf vs R e 0 ( T ~ / T ~=w0.4)

Figure 1.- Continued.

 Rex
(d) Cf vs Re, (T,/T,, = 0.4)
Figure 1.- Continued,
 Re9
(el Cf vs Reg (T,/T,, = 0.6)

Figure 1.- Continued.

Figure 1.- Continued.
 Re0
(g) Cf vs Reg (T,/T,, = 1,0)

Figure 1.- Continued.

 Rex
(h) Cf vs Rex ( T , / T ~ , = 1.0)

Figure 1,- Concluded,

 Re0
(a) CF vs Reg (T,/TaW = 0.2)

Figure 2.- Average skin friction predicted by the Van Driest method (11);
T, = 55*6OI<(100~~).
 Rex
(b) CF vs Re, (T,/T,, = 0.2)

Figure 2.- Continued,

 Re e
( c ) CF vs Re@ (T~/T,, = 0~4)
Figure 2.- Continued,
 Rex
( d) CF vs Re, (T,/T,, = 0~4)
Figure 2,- Continued,
Figure 2,- Continued,
 Rex
(P) CF vs Re, (T,/T,, = 0.6)

Figure 2,- Continued.

Figure 2.- Continued,
107 lo8
Rex
(h) CF vs Re, (T,/T,, = 1,0)

Figure 2.- Concluded.

so- *

Figure ' 3 - I a c n l s k i n friction predi c t e d b y t h e Van D r i e s t roethod ( 11);

T, = 2 2 2 " ~( ~ o o " R ) .
 lo8
Rex
(b) Cy vs Re, (T,/T,, = 0,2)

Figure 3.- Continued.

 105

Ree
( c ) Ci' vs R e g (T,/T,, = 0~4)
Figure 3,- Conti-nued,
Figure 3. - Continu-ed.,
Figure 3.- C o n t i n u e d
Figure 3,- Continued.
 Re6
( g ) Cf vs Reg (T,/T,, = 1.0)

Figure 3.- Continued.

 Rex
(h) Cf vs Re, (T,/T,, = 1,0)

Figure 3. - Concluded.
 (a) CF vs Re@ (T,/T,, = 0.2)

Figure 4.- Average akin friction predicted by the Van Driest, method (11);
Te = 222% ( 4 0 0 ~ ~ ) ~
 lo8
Rex
( b ) CF vs Re, (T,/T,, = 0.2)

Figure 4.-Continued,
 105
Re0
( c ) CF vs R e g (T,/T,, = 0.4)
Figure 4.- Continued.
2x10 - 4
107 lo8
Rex
(d) Cp vs Re, (TT
/,, = 0.4-)

Figure 4.- Continued,

 Ree
( e ) CF vs R e g (T,/T,, = 0.6)

Figure 4.- Continued.

 10"
Re.,

lo8
Rex
(f) CF vs Re, (T,/T,, = 0.6)

Figure 4.- Continued.

Figure 4.- Continued.
 Rex
(h) CF vs Re, (T,/T,, = 1.0)

Figure 4.- Concluded.

 I,"

0 100 200 300 400°R

0 100 200OK
Te
Figure 5.- Skin-friction correction
 104

(a) T
,/T,, = 0.2

Figure 6.- Relationship between Rex and Ree predicted by the Van Driest
method (11); Te = 55.6'K (100'~).
 10'

lo8

Rex

10

10
10 104 10
Ree
(b) T
,/T,, = 0.4
Figure 6.- Continued.
Figure 6.- Continued.
 -
Figure 6. Concluded.
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