Flow Over Immersed Bodies

General External Flow

Characteristics
 Flow Over Immersed Bodies
Learning objectives

After completing this chapter, you should be able to:

identify and discuss the features of external flow.
Explain the fundamental characteristics of a boundary layer, including laminar,
transitional, and turbulent regimes.
Calculate boundary layer parameters for flow past a flat plate.
Provide a description of boundary layer separation.
Calculate the lift and drag forces for various objects.
 General External Flow Characteristics
• Flow past objects is termed external flow

• Theoretical, numerical and experimental approaches are used to

study external flows

• We’ll consider characteristics of external flows and learn how to

determine various forces on objects surrounded by moving fluid

• Coordinate system fixed to the object is used to study external flows

• One consider the fluid flowing past a stationary body with velocity U,
the upstream velocity

• Shape of the body affects the flow characteristics

 Flow Structure vs. Body Shape

I) (a) two-dimensional (b) axisymmetric (c) three-dimensional

II) streamlined bodies, blunt bodies

 Flow past immersed bodies

There may be three cases of fluid past submerged body:

1. Body is at rest and Fluid is flowing

2. Fluid is at rest and body moving through static fluid

3. Both, body and fluid moving with certain velocities 

 Flow Past Submerged Bodies

• Examples 1.
• Body is at rest and Fluid is flowing 
• The body is stationary and the fluid flows past the body with velocity U. In this
case, fluid exerts force on the body (as fluid resistance) 
• Similarly, according to Newton's second law, body also exerts equal and opposite
force on the fluid. This phenomenon takes place due to velocity difference
between fluid and object.
 Flow Past Submerged Bodies

• Example 2
• Fluid is at rest and body moving through static fluid.
• The fluid is stationary and the body moves through the fluid with
velocity U. 
• In this case also, body experiences force exerted by fluid on the body
(as fluid resistance) Therefore, in both the cases, the magnitude of the
force is same.
 Flow Past Submerged Bodies

• Example 3.

• Both, body and fluid moving with 

• certain velocities Both the fluid and the object moves DRAG with same or
different velocities.
 Viscous Pipe Flow: Entrance and Fully Developed
The entrance region in a pipe flow is quite complex (1) to (2):
The fluid enters the pipe with nearly uniform flow.
The viscous effects create a boundary layer that merges. When they merge the flow is
fully developed.

There are estimates for determining the entrance length for pipe flows:

and
9
Boundary Layer in External Flow
 Streamline and Bluff Bodies
• Types of Bodies 
• I. Streamlined Body. A body whose surface coincides with the stream lines when
placed in a flow, is called a streamlined body

• II. Bluff Body. A body whose surface does not coincide with streamlines when
placed in a flow, is called a bluff body. 
 Lift and Drag

• Whenever there is relative motion between a real fluid and a body, the fluid
exerts a force on the body. The body exerts an equal and opposite force on
the fluid.

• 1. The component of force in the direction of flow (free stream) on a

submerged body is called the drag force, FD.
• 2. Lift force. The component of force at right angles to the direction of flow
is called the lift force
Lift and Drag Concepts
Forces from the surrounding fluid on a
two-dimensional object:

pressure force

viscous force

resultant force: drag and lift

(side force for 3D body)
Lift and Drag Concepts
Lift and Drag Concepts

D   p cos  dA    w sin  dA

L    p sin  dA    w cos  dA
 Lift and Drag Coefficients
Drag coefficient
D
CD 
1
U 2 A
2
Lift coefficient
L
CL 
1
U 2 A
2

A is ether frontal or planform area

Lift and Drag Coefficients