Energy method and stability of shear flows: an elementary tutorial

This paper provides a pedagogical introduction to the classical nonlinear stability analysis of the plane Poiseuille and Couette flows. The whole procedure is kept as simple as possible by presenting all the logical steps involved in the application of the energy method and leading to the Euler-Lagrange equations. Then, the eigenvalue problems needed for the evaluation of the nonlinear energy threshold of the Reynolds number for stability are formulated for transverse modes and for longitudinal modes. Such formulations involve the streamfunction and, in the case of longitudinal modes, also the streamwise component of velocity. An accurate numerical solution of the eigenvalue problems, based on Galerkin’s method of weighted residuals with the test functions expressed in terms of Chebyshev polynomials, is discussed in details. The numerical codes developed for the software Mathematica 14 (© Wolfram Research, Inc.) are also presented. A critical analysis of the obtained results is finally proposed.