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:

45
0.62 Re1D2 Pr 1 3 ⎡ ⎛ Re D ⎞ ⎤
58
hD
N u cyl = = 0.3 + 14 ⎢
1+ ⎜ ⎟ ⎥
k [ ]
1 + (0.4 Pr) 2 3 ⎢⎣ ⎝ 282,000 ⎠ ⎥⎦
Re D Pr > 0.2 , smooth surface

2. Whitaker Correlation for Sphere:

14
⎛μ ⎞
N u sph =
hD
[ ]
= 2 + 0.4 Re1D2 + 0.06 Re 2D 3 Pr 0.4 ⎜⎜ ∞ ⎟⎟
k ⎝ μs ⎠
3.5 ≤ Re D ≤ 80,000 0.7 ≤ Pr ≤ 380 , smooth surface

2
3. Hilpert Correlation (general case):
hD
Nu D = = 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

3
Example 1:

4
5
Example 2:

6
7