Viscous-Inviscid Interactions in a Boundary-Layer Flow Induced by a Vortex Array

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the asymptotic validity of boundary-layer theory. For a flow induced by a periodic row of point-vortices, we compare Prandtl's boundary-layer solution to Navier-Stokes solutions with different Reynolds numbers. We show how Prandtl's solution develops a finite-time separation singularity. On the other hand, the Navier-Stokes solutions are characterized by the presence of two distinct types of viscous-inviscid interactions that can be detected by the analysis of the enstrophy and of the pressure gradient on the wall. Moreover, we apply the complex singularity-tracking method to Prandtl and Navier-Stokes solutions and analyze the previous interactions from a different perspective.