Separation zones in the flow near a small-angle convex corner

On the basis of an asymptotic analysis of the Navier-Stokes system of equations for large Reynolds numbers (Re → ∞), the plane incompressible fluid flow near a surface having a convex corner with a small angle 2θ* is investigated. It is shown that for θ* = O(Re^?1/4), in addition to the known solution that describes a separated flow completely localized in a thin “viscous” sublayer of the interaction region near the corner point, another solution corresponding to a flow with a developed separation zone is possible. For θ ₀ = Re^1/4 θ* = O(1), the longitudinal dimension of this zone varies from finite values up to values of the order of Re^?3/8. The nonuniqueness of the solution is established on a certain range of variation of the parameter θ ₀. The dependence of the drag coefficient on the angle θ* is found.