Burgers flow past an arbitrary ellipse
The two-dimensional steady flow past an ellipse of arbitrary aspect ratio is investigated analytically, applying a linearized version of the Navier-Stokes equation based on the approximation of Burgers (1928). The resulting infinite system of linear equations is truncated to give reliable results for Reynolds numbers between zero and five, and separation, drag, and boundary-layer phenomena are characterized and illustrated with graphs. The Burgers approximation is found to provide good qualitative results near the ellipse, with reasonable quantitative accuracy for the special case of a circular cylinder.