CHAPTER 7 (PART 1)

Dr Mohd Azmier Ahmad

Tel: 04-5996459
Email: chazmier@eng.usm.my
 CHAPTER 7
FLOW PAST IMMERSED BODIES
The situation where the solid is immersed in &
surrounded by fluid.
Fluid may be at rest & solid moving through it; or
solid may be at rest & fluid flowing past it or both
may be moving.
Additional friction losses occur for flowing fluid
which is not flowing parallel to the solid surface (e.g.
sphere).
 Goals
 Describe forces that act on a
particle in a fluid.
 Define and quantify the drag
coefficient for spherical and
non-spherical objects in a
flow field.
 Define Stokes’ and
Newton’s Laws for flow
around spheres.
 Flow Around Objects
There are many processes that involve flow through a porous
medium such as a suspension of particles:

• Packed Bed Chemical Reactor

• Food Industry
• Oil Reservoirs
 DRAG FORCE
 Force in the direction of flow.
 When wall of the body is parallel with the direction of flow
(e.g. thin flat plate) the only drag force is the wall shear, τw.
 Shear drag is due to viscous friction as liquid flows past
surface of object.

Wall shear

 Form drag is due to liquid changing direction as it flows past

the object.
WALL DRAG & FORM DRAG ON IMMERSED OBJECT

 Fluid pressure acts in a direction normal to the wall.

 Element of area, dA inclined at an angle of α to the direction of fluid flow.
 Drag from the wall shear, Fw = τw sin α dA
 Drag due to pressure, Ff = p cos α dA
 Total drag on the entire body is ; A A
Fd   drag from wall shear   drag from pressure
0 0
A A
Fd    w sin  dA   P cos  dA
Wall shear 0 0
& pressure Fd  wall drag  form drag
 DRAG COEFFICIENT, Cd
 Cd is similar to that of the friction factor in pipes.
 Cd defined as ratio of drag force to the velocity head and density :

Fd
Cd 
1
Vo2 Ap
2

Fd = drag force, N
ρf = fluid density, kg/m3
Dp = particle diameter, m
Vo = fluid approach velocity, m/s
Ap = projected area
= L x Dp (for perpendicular cylinder)
= (π/4)Dp2 (for parallel cylinder & sphere)
 Projected area

Drag coefficient & drag force depend on shape & orientation of body
FOR SPHERE IMMERSED IN A FLOWING LIQUID

At least 3 regions :
Applicable for
i) NRe < 1 (laminar); Cd = 24 / NRe cylinders and disks
ii) 1 < NRe < 1000 (transition); Cd = 18 NRe-0.6
iii)1000 < NRe < 2x105 (turbulent); Cd = 0.44

For laminar flow: D pVo  f ………..(1)

N Re 
f

Ap   D p 
Projected area for sphere : 2 ………..(2)
4
Drag coefficient :
Fd
Cd  Cd ApVo2  f
1
 f Vo2 Ap  Fd  ………..(3)
2 2
For small NRe < 1.0, Stoke’s law can be applied :

Fd  3 f D pVo ………..(4)

Combine (1-4): 24 24
Cd  
D pVo  f N Re ………..(5)
f

The overall relationship between Cd & NRe for different

type of object is shown in the following diagram.
 Fig. 7.3 : Drag coefficients of typical shapes

The axis of the cylinder and the face of the disk are perpendicular
to the direction of flow.
NRe < 1.0 (Stoke’s law) : at low velocities, the sphere moves through the fluid
by deforming it. The flow pattern behind & front is same.
NRe > 1.0, separation occurs at a point just forward of the equatorial plane. A
wake is formed (covering the entire hemisphere) contribute to large form drag.

NRe > 350 000 (turbulent), separation point moves toward the rear of the body
and the wake shrinks. The Cd decrease to ~ 0.1.

Laminar
flow

Turbulent
flow

B : stagnation point, velocity = 0

C : separation point
Example 7.1
Air at 37.8oC and 101.3 kPa flows past a sphere having
diameter of 42 mm at a velocity of 23 m/s. What is the
drag coefficient and the drag force on the sphere.
Given : ρair = 1.137 kg/m3; μair = 1.90 x 10-5 Pa.s
Solution D pVo  f (0.042)(23)(1.137)
N Re    5. 78 x10 4

f 1.90 x10 5

From Fig. 7.3, when NRe = 5.78x104, Cd = 0.47

CdVo2  f Ap (0.47)(23) 2 (1.137)  (0.042) 2
 Fd    0.196 N
2 2 4
Example 7.2
Air at 37.8oC and 101.3 kPa flows past a sphere having
diameter of 30 mm at a velocity of 45 m/s. What is the
drag coefficient and the drag force on the sphere (ρair =
1.137 kg/m3; μair = 1.90 x 10-5 Pa.s).
Solution
DpVo  f (0.03)(45)(1.137)
N Re    8.08 x10 4

f 1.90 x105

From Fig. 7.3, when NRe = 8.08x104, Cd = 0.5

CdVo2  f Ap (0.5)(45) 2 (1.137)  (0.03) 2
 Fd    0.41 N
2 2 4
Example 7.3
Water at 24oC is flowing past a long cylinder at a velocity of
1.0 m/s in a large tunnel. The axis of the cylinder is
perpendicular to the direction of flow. The diameter of the
cylinder is 0.09 m. What is the force per meter length of the
cylinder (ρwater = 997.2 kg/m3; μwater = 0.9142 x 10-3 Pa.s).
Solution
D pVo  f (0.09)(1)(997.2)
N Re    9. 817 x10 4

f 0.9142x103

From Fig. 7.3, when NRe = 9.817x104, Cd = 1.4

CdVo2  f Ap (1.4)(1) 2 (997.2)
 Fd   (1x0.09)  62.82 N
2 2
Example 7.4
Water at 24oC is flowing past a long cylinder at a velocity of 0.75
m/s in a large tunnel. The axis of the cylinder is perpendicular to
the direction of flow. The diameter of the cylinder is 0.14 m.
What is the force per meter length of the cylinder.
Given : ρwater = 1000 kg/m3; μwater = 0.9142 x 10-3 Pa.s
Answer:
D pVo  f (0.14)(0.75)(1000)
N Re    1.15 x10 5

f 0.9142 x10 3
From Fig. 7.3, when NRe = 1.15x105, Cd = 1.4
For 1 unit length,
CdVo2  f Ap (1.4)(0.75) 2 (1000)
 Fd   (1x0.14)  55.12 N
2 2
Example 7.5
A cylindrical bridge pier 1 meter in diameter is submerged to a
depth of 10m in a river at 20°C. Water is flowing past at a
velocity of 1.2 m/s. Calculate the force in Newton on the pier.

ρ water  998.2 kg m 3
μ water  1.005  x10 3 kg m  s u0  1.2m s

Answer:
D pVo  f (1)(12)(998.2)
N Re    1. 19 x10 6

f 1.005 x10 3

From Fig. 7.3, when NRe = 1.19x106, Cd = 0.35

CdVo2  f Ap (0.35)(1.2) 2 (998.2)
 Fd   (1x10)  2515 N
2 2
WORK IN PAIR
1. Air at 37.8oC and 101.3 kPa flows past a sphere
having diameter of 3 mm at a velocity of 0.02 m/s.
What is the drag coefficient and the drag force on the
sphere (ρair = 1.137 kg/m3; μair = 1.90 x 10-5 Pa.s)

2. Water at 24oC is flowing past 1 m long cylinder at a

velocity of 0.75 m/s in a large tunnel. The axis of the
cylinder is perpendicular to the direction of flow. The
diameter of the cylinder is 0.12 m. What is the drag
force of the cylinder (ρwater = 1000 kg/m3; μwater = 0.9142
x 10-3 Pa.s)
 Minimize pressure drag by streamlining

 Delay separation by streamlining for

a pointed rear (e.g. air foil).
 The streamline divides directly into
2 parts at point B (stagnation point).
The velocity at this point is 0.
 A perfect streamlined object would
have no wake & no form drag.
Streamlining
 Automobile Drag
Scion XB Porsche

Cd = 1.0, A = 25 ft2, CdA = 25ft2 Cd = 0.28, A = 10 ft2, CdA = 2.8ft2

• Drag force, Fd for Scion XB

will be ~10 times larger than
Porsche
 Example 7.6

Calculate power required to overcome drag at 60 mph (26.8 m/s)

and 120 mph (53.7 m/s).

Solution: Projected area = (H-G)W = (1.539-0.15)(1.775) = 2.5 m2

CdVo2  f Ap (0.32)(26.8) 3 (1.2)(2.5)
P  Fd xVo  xVo   9.3kW 60 mph
2 2
P  74kW (for 120 mph)