2.

Flow across Cylinders and Spheres

Figure 1 Drag coefficient as a function of Reynolds number for a smooth circular cylinder and a smooth
sphere.

Figure 2 Typical flow patterns for flow past a circular cylinder.

1

Figure 3 Flow past a circular cylinder, Re=105.

Figure 4 Variation of the local heat transfer coefficient along the circumference of a circular cylinder in
cross-flow of air (from Giedt).
-Empirical Relations:
1. Churchill and Bernstein Relation for Cylinder:
N u cyl

58
0.62 Re1D2 Pr 1 3 Re D
hD
=
= 0.3 +
1+

14
k
1 + (0.4 Pr) 2 3 282,000
Re D Pr > 0.2 , smooth surface

2. Whitaker Correlation for Sphere:

14

hD
N u sph =
= 2 + 0.4 Re1D2 + 0.06 Re 2D 3 Pr 0.4
k
s
3.5 Re D 80,000 0.7 Pr 380 , smooth surface

45

3. Hilpert Correlation (general case):

Nu D =

hD
= C Re mD Pr 1 3
k
Pr 0.7

Table 1 Constants for the Hilpert Correlation, for Circular (Liquids and Gases) and Noncircular (Gases
only) in Cross Flow

Example 1:

Example 2: