Dimensionless Groups:

Generally, when calculating the terminal velocity for a given

particle or the particle diameter for a given velocity, it is not
known which region of operation is relevant. One way around
this is to formulate the dimensionless groups, C D Re 2p and CD / Re 2p

1- To calculate UT, for a given size x.Calculate the group

4 x  f  p   f g
3
2
CD Re 
p
3 2
4
Which is independent of UT (note that C D Re 2p  Ar , where
3
Ar is the Archimedes number).

For given particle and fluid properties, CD Re2p is a constant and

will therefore produce a straight line of slope -2 if plotted on the
logarithmic coordinates ( log CD versus log Rep) of the standard
drag curve. The intersection of this straight line with the drag
curve gives the value of Rep and hence UT

2- To calculate size x, for a given UT.Calculate the group

C D 4 g   p   f 

Re p 3 U T3  2f

Which is independent of particle size x.

For a given terminal velocity, particle density and fluid

properties, CD / Re2p is constant and will produce a straight line of
slope +1 if plotted on the logarithmic coordinates ( log CD
versus log Rep) of the standard drag curve. The intersection of
this straight line with the drag curve gives the value of Rep and
hence, x.

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Non – spherical particles

The effect of shape of non-spherical particles on their drag

coefficient has proved difficult to define. Engineers and scientist
often require a single number to describe the shape of a particle.
One simple approach is to describe the shape of a particle in
terms of its sphericity, the ratio of the surface area of a sphere of
volume equal to that of the particle to the surface area of the
particle.

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Ex: A sphere of density 2500 Kg/m3 falls freely under gravity in
a fluid of density 700 kg/m3 and viscosity 0.5×10-3 Pa.s, give
that the terminal velocity of the sphere is 0.15 m/s.Calculate its
diameter, What would be the edge length of a cube of the same
material falling in the same fluid at the same terminal velocity?

Solution:

CD 4 g   p   f 

Re p 3 U T3  2f

CD  
4  9 . 81  0 . 5  10  3 2500  700 
  
Re p 3 0 . 15 3  700 2 

=7.12×10-3

For plotting the relationship:

Rep CD
100 0.712
1000 7.12
10000 71.2

These values are plotted on the standard drag curves for

particles of different sphericity. The result is shown in fig.
below:

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Where the plotted line intersects the standard drag curve for a
sphere (ψ=1), Rep=130.

The diameter of the sphere may be calculated from:

 f .x.U T
Re p  130 


Sphere diameter x=619µm

For a cube having the same terminal velocity under the same
condition, the same CD versus Rep relationship applies, only the
standard drag curve is that for a cube (ψ=0.806)
At the intersection of this standard drag curve with the plotted
line, Rep=310.

xv 

310  0.5  10 3 
 1.48  10 3 m
0.15  700
 .x 3
And so the volume of the particle is  1 . 66  10 9
m3
6
Giving a cube side length of (1.66×10-9)1/3 = 1.18×10-3 m
(1.18mm)

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