A concise mathematical framework is constructed to study the topology of steady 3-D separated flows of an incompressible, or a compressible viscous fluid. Flow separation is defined by the existence of a stream surface which intersects with the body surface. The line of separation is itself a skin-friction line. Flow separation is classified as being either regular or singular, depending respectively on whether the line of separation contains only a finite number of singular points or is a singular line of the skin-friction field. The special cases of 2-D and axisymmetric flow separation are shown to be of singular type. In regular separation it is shown that a line of separation originates from a saddle point of separation of the skin-friction field and ends at nodal points of separation. Unsteady flow separation is defined relative to a coordinate system fixed to the body surface. It is shown that separation of an unsteady 3-D incompressible viscous flow at time t, when viewed from such a frame of reference, is topologically the same as that of the fictitious steady flow obtained by freezing the unsteady flow at the instant t. Examples are given showing effects of various forms of flow unsteadiness on flow separation. Hui, W. H. Unspecified Center NAGW-575; RTOP 505-31-01-01...

Interdisciplinary and Advanced Topics in Science and Engineering, Volume 3: Separation of Flow presents the problem of the separation of fluid flow. This book provides information covering the fields of basic physical processes, analyses, and experiments concerning flow separation. Organized into 12 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the flow separation on the body surface as discusses in various classical examples. This text then examines the analytical and experimental results of the laminar boundary layer of steady, two-dimensional flows in the subsonic speed range. Other chapters consider the study of flow separation on the two-dimensional body, flow separation on three-dimensional body shape and particularly on bodies of revolution. This book discusses as well the analytical solutions of the unsteady flow separation. The final chapter deals with the purpose of separation flow control to raise efficiency or to enhance the performance of vehicles and fluid machineries involving various engineering applications. This book is a valuable resource for engineers.

A situation involving a three-dimensional marginal separation is considered, where a (steady) boundary layer flow is on the verge of separating at a point (located along a line of symmetry/centerline). At this point, a triple-deck is included, thereby permitting a small amount of interaction to occur. Unsteadiness is included within this interaction region through some external means. It is shown that the problem reduces to the solution of a nonlinear, unsteady, partial-integro system, which is solved numerically by means of time-marching together with a pseudo-spectral method spatially. A number of solutions to this system are presented which strongly suggest a breakdown of this system may occur, at a finite spatial position, at a finite time. The structure and details of this breakdown are then described. Duck, Peter W. Glenn Research Center NASA ORDER C-99066-G; RTOP 505-62-21...