Ludwig Prandtl

Considered to be the father of modern day fluid dynamics, Ludwig Prandtl was the first to conceive the idea of a boundary layer. Prandtl was born in Germany in 1875, and went on to Munich to study mechanical engineering.

The Concept

Soon after Prandtl became a professor at the University of Hanover where he worked to create a sound theoretical basis for fluid dynamics. In 1904, he was romanced by the University of Gottingen where he first came up with the idea of a boundary layer, perhaps the greatest single discovery in fluid dynamics today.

The theory of boundary layers, discussed in greater detail in the fluid dynamics section, relates the movement of an object through a fluid. Especially in air, the theory of a boundary layer confines all of the frictional interaction to a thin skin of air near the surface of the object.