Stagnation point

A stagnation point is a point on or in a flow where the local fluid velocity is zero in the body frame, so the streamline meets the surface and the dynamic pressure converts fully to static pressure. By Bernoulli’s equation the pressure there reaches its maximum, the stagnation pressure p0 = p + 0.5 rho V^2 in incompressible flow. Every closed body in a steady stream has a forward stagnation point near the bow and a rear one near the stern. The forward stagnation point fixes where the boundary layer begins and anchors the pressure distribution that panel methods compute, making it a basic check on any potential-flow solution.