Axisymmetric analogy for three-dimensional viscous flow problems

A method of solving three-dimensional flow problems with the aid of two-dimensional solutions, which can be used for any Reynolds numbers, is proposed. The method is based on the use of similarity relations obtained in the theoretical analysis of the approximate analytic solution of the equations of a three-dimensional viscous shock layer. These relations express the heat flux and the friction stress on the lateral surface of a three-dimensional body in terms of the values on the surface of an axisymmetric body. The accuracy is estimated by comparing the results with those of a numerical finite-difference calculation of the flow past bodies of various shapes. Similar similarity relations were previously obtained in [1] for the plane of symmetry of a blunt body.