Consider the laminar flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluid over a flat

plate. Since the flow is laminar, it is reasonable to seek a steady solution to

the governing equations, and since the plate is flat, the pressure gradient will
be zero. The resulting governing equations are,
∂u ∂v
+ =0 (1)
∂x ∂y

∂u ∂u ∂2u
u +v =ν 2 (2)
∂x ∂y ∂y

∂T ∂T ∂2T
u +v =α 2 (3)
∂x ∂y ∂y
where we have also neglected viscous dissipation.
In order to simplify the set of governing equations, we introduce a stream
function
∂ψ
u≡ (4)
∂y
∂ψ
v≡− (5)
∂x
Subsitituting 4 and 5 into 1,

∂2ψ ∂2ψ
− ≡0 (6)
∂xy ∂xy
we see that conservation of mass is identically satisfied if we use a stream
function to define our velocity components. The stream function is a clever
device which implicity enforces mass conservation (continuity). It is also a very
convenient way to visualize fluid flows. For these reasons, the stream function
is frequently employed in two dimensional fluid mechanics problems.
Next, we want to simplify the momentum equation, and we do this by pos-
tulating that there exists some scaling parameter which will reduce all of the
local velocity profiles to a single curve. If we can find such a parameter, our two
dimensional problem will become a one dimensional problem and will be much
more ammenable to analytic solution. Such a scaling, or similarity parameter
has been found, and is given by
r
U∞
η=y (7)
νx
Now, define a non-dimensional stream function using our similarity param-
eter,
ψ
f (η) = p (8)
U∞ νx/U∞

1
 Next, we need to cast our momentum equation, Equation 2 in terms of our
similarity parameter, η. We shall convert each term in sequence, and then put
them together.
∂ψ ∂ψ ∂η
u= = (9)
∂y ∂η ∂y
From Equation 8, r
νx
ψ = U∞ f (η) (10)
U∞
and from the definition to η,
r
∂η U∞
= (11)
∂y νx
Accordingly, Equation 9 simplifies to
df
u = U∞ (12)
dη
Next, consider the v velocity.
∂ψ
v=− (13)
∂x
This is a little involved to evaluate, since
r
νx
ψ = U∞ f (η) (14)
U∞
so,
 r r 
νx ∂f U∞ ν
v = − U∞ + f (15)
U∞ ∂x 2 U∞ x
∂f ∂f ∂η
= (16)
∂x ∂η ∂x

r
∂η 1 U∞ −3/2
= − y x (17)
∂x 2 ν
1
= − η (18)
2x
Simplifying,
r  
1 νU∞ ∂f
v= η −f (19)
2 x ∂η
Similarly, for ∂u/∂x,

2
 ∂u ∂ 2 f ∂η
= U∞ 2 (20)
∂x ∂η ∂x

∂u 1 ∂2f
= − U∞ 2 (21)
∂x 2x ∂η
and for ∂u/∂y

∂u ∂ 2 f ∂η
= U∞ 2 (22)
∂y ∂η ∂y
r
∂u U∞ ∂ 2 f
= U∞ (23)
∂y νx ∂η 2
And finally, for ∂ 2 u/∂y 2

∂2u U 2 ∂3f
2
= ∞ 3 (24)
∂y νx ∂η
Substituting each of these terms into the boundary layer momentum equa-
tion, Equation 2, we find a third order ordinary differential equation in f,

d3 f d2 f
2 + f =0 (25)
dη 3 dη 2
Or, in simplified notation,

2f 000 + f f 00 = 0 (26)