Laminar and Turbulent Boundary Layers
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Mechanical Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 42
Special Issue Editors
Interests: fluid mechanics; aeronautics; aerodynamics; computational fluid dynamics
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layer flow remains one of the most captivating and consequential phenomena in fluid mechanics. It profoundly influences drag, heat transfer, and flow control across various engineering applications, ranging from aerospace and automotive design to energy systems and environmental flows.
Despite more than a century of investigation, the underlying mechanisms governing transition—particularly in the presence of surface imperfections, environmental disturbances, and complex geometric configurations—continue to resist comprehensive theoretical understanding and accurate predictive modeling. This limitation has wide-ranging consequences, including a persistent gap in Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulence models, which remain ill-equipped to account for transitional flow regimes. As a result, many industrial simulations compromise accuracy by relying on fully turbulent assumptions, ignoring the subtle but critical dynamics of laminar-to-turbulent evolution.
This Special Issue invites contributions providing cutting-edge transition research, bridging the gap between fundamental analyses and engineering applications. We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and position papers covering topics such as the following:
- Linear and nonlinear stability analyses;
- Direct numerical simulations (DNS) and large-eddy simulations (LES);
- Influence of surface roughness, geometric discontinuities, and freestream turbulence;
- Advanced transition control strategies and novel tripping techniques;
- Experimental approaches and high-resolution measurement methodologies;
- Multidisciplinary frameworks involving data-driven modeling, machine learning, or adaptive simulations;
By assembling diverse theoretical, computational, and experimental perspectives, this Special Issue will chart the current landscape and illuminate the unresolved questions that will guide future research. We particularly encourage submissions that propose innovative modeling strategies, challenge conventional paradigms, or integrate knowledge across disciplines.
Join us in pushing the boundaries of fluid dynamics by submitting your manuscript and contributing to the next chapter in unravelling the complexities of boundary layer transition.
Dr. Donato De Rosa
Dr. Raffaele Salvatore Donelli
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- transition mechanisms
- stability theory
- scale-resolved RANS models
- experimental data
- control mechanisms
- roughness and surface polish
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