Mean velocity and shear stress distributions in turbulent boundary layers

A universal velocity defect law for turbulent boundary layers developing in adverse pressure gradients is proposed. The velocity scale for this law is independent of the wall shear but related instead to the local maximum in the Reynolds stress profile. The proposal and its implications are checked against a very large body of experimental results and a partial connection between the mean velocity field and the shear stress field is established. A comparison between the present theory and the mixing length theory is presented. The experimental data do not appear to support many of the assumptions nor the predictions of the mixing length theory. The distinction between equilibrium and nonequilibrium layers made by Clauser is shown to be unnecessary as all classes of layers appear to conform to the new universal velocity defect law proposed, provided that the maximum shear stress is sufficiently larger than the wall shear stress.