Stagnation Points in Flows about Solid Bodies

A possible first step in determining the flow about a steadily advancing ship is to consider the ship plus its mirror image in the undisturbed free surface. If the ship has a bulbous bow, the question may be asked whether a stagnation point can be expected not only at the intersection of the stem and the undisturbed surface, but also at some point on the stem near the bulb. In analogous two-dimensional situations the latter could not happen. That it can happen in three dimensions is shown here by the example of two dipoles situated perpendicularly to an oncoming flow. Both two- and three dimensional versions are considered. The conditions under which these stagnation points can occur in three dimensions are determined and the reason why this does not happen in two dimensions is explained.