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Handout For Dimensional Analysis

Dimensional analysis was used to determine the key dimensionless parameters that govern drag force on a sphere. Four repeating variables were selected: velocity, diameter, density, and kinematic viscosity. This led to four dimensionless groups: Reynolds number, relative roughness, Weber number, and drag coefficient. Experimental data can then determine the relationship between drag coefficient and Reynolds number. Dimensional analysis allows similitude relationships like this to be identified and applied more broadly.

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78 views4 pages

Handout For Dimensional Analysis

Dimensional analysis was used to determine the key dimensionless parameters that govern drag force on a sphere. Four repeating variables were selected: velocity, diameter, density, and kinematic viscosity. This led to four dimensionless groups: Reynolds number, relative roughness, Weber number, and drag coefficient. Experimental data can then determine the relationship between drag coefficient and Reynolds number. Dimensional analysis allows similitude relationships like this to be identified and applied more broadly.

Uploaded by

vtsh100
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1

Handout for Dimensional Analysis


! Dimensional analysis is another technique for obtaining dynamic similarity.
! It is the process of grouping variables into dimensionless parameters.
!Special dimensionless parameters (numbers)are not limited to the force ratios found in
similitude or model prototype relationships.
! The equations, relationships, or plots from dimensional analysis can be applied to many
applications or prototypes instead of just one model prototype relationship found from similarity.
! Dimensional analysis combines the variables acting in a given fluid flow situation into the
smallest number of dimensionless parameters that can be used in place of the variables.
! Variables of geometry, kinematics, dynamic (forces and fluid properties), and temperature are
selected.
! Variables are usually limited to only the variables that have significant influence on the fluid
flow situation (ie bulk modulus may not be significant for fluid problems with speeds less than
0.3 Mach.
! If a non-significant variable or a variable that is questionable is included, an extra Pi-term will
be generated. This adds extra work and difficulty to the process, although final evaluation and
experimentation should later eliminate the variable and the parameter containing the variable.
! Variables are limited to those that are not redundant or mathematically related by other
fundamental equations and relationships (ie only two of the variables D ( and g are used because
( = D g). Other redundant relationships include Q = V Area, Area = B D / 4, etc.
! The intermediate product of dimensional analysis is a set of dimensionless parameters or Piterms. The Pi-terms are later arranged into a mathematical relationship or equation by
performing a set of experiments to determine the exact relationships.
! The procedure for dimensional analysis is not an exact science, and it may not produce an
answer the first time or even a number of tries. The process may require re-evaluating the
variables, assumptions, and sections of the repeating variables. Sometimes the process becomes
a trial (guess) and error routine.
! As a rule-of -thumb, the Pi-terms will consist of variations of the similitude numbers, length
ratios, velocity ratios, temperature ratios, and dependent variable parameters.

! The procedure for dimensional analysis includes the selection of m number of repeating
variables, as a rule-of-thumb there will be one variable selected from each category of geometric,
kinematic, and dynamic variables. A fourth repeating variable will be temperature if temperature
was one of the significant variables.
!The repeating variable selected from each category must be the most important significant
variable of the category, it must have a definite effect on the fluid problem .
! The repeating variables may include the dependent variable (ie V or Q) if there are no other
variables in the category.
! As a rule-of-thumb, density is almost always selected as the repeating variable from the
dynamic variable category since inertia is almost always a significant part of the fluid problem
! Since density is almost always used as a significant variable and a repeating variable, both the
gravitational constant and the specific weight cant be selected as significant variables.
! The steps for dimensional analysis include:
1. Problem statement and identifying the dependent variable or unknown,
2. Selecting all significant variables and organizing them in groups of geometric,
kinematic, and dynamics variables,
3. Eliminate any redundant variables,
4. Select the m number of repeating variables,
5. Record all assumptions and decisions made about the variables,
6. Combine the m repeating variables with each of the remaining variables into n-m
groups where n is the total number of variables and each group will have m+1 variables,
7. Arrange the variables of each group as product value with an exponent for each
variable,
8. Replace each variable in a group by its dimensions, FLt or Mlt, ie density D would be
replaced by Ft/L4,
9. Find the value of the exponents to form a dimensionless parameter, ie some of the
exponents may be zero and the variable is eliminated form the dimensionless parameter,
10. Experimental data and insight are used to define the functional relationships into a
an equation or plot. Statistics is then used to evaluate the fit or correctness of the
relationship.

3
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS EXAMPLE FOR DRAG FORCE FD OF A SPHERE

Where: V is the velocity of the sphere, FD is the drag force on the sphere, D is the diameter of
the sphere, e is the height of roughness on the surface of the sphere, D is the density of the fluid,
< is the kinematic viscosity, and F is the surface tension.
Independent and dependent variables
FD = ( D, V, D, e, <, F )
7 variables
geometric variables [ D, e ]
kinematic variables [ V ]
dynamic variables [ FD, D, <, F ]

F used if D is small, EV not used for M<0.3

PI Terms
there will be m = 7 - 3 dimensions/repeating vairables = 4 PI Terms
Repeating Variables
one variable from each group (geometric, etc), each variable should be the most dominant
of each group, almost always select density for the dynamic repeating variable
the three repeating variables are then [ V, D, D ]
Dimensional Parameters / Groupings
B1 = Vx Dy Dz FD {L/t}x {L}y {Ft2/L4}z {F}1
force F:
z+1=0 |
z = -1
time t:
-x + 2z = 0 | x = -2
y = -2
length L:
x + y - 4z = 0 |
-2
-2
-1
B1 = V D D FD

B2 = Vx Dy Dz e
force F:
time t:
length L:
B2 =

{L/t}x {L}y {Ft2/L4}z {L}1


z=0 |
z=0
-x + 2z = 0 | x = 0
x + y - 4z +1 = 0 | y = -1
D-1 e

B3 = Vx Dy Dz < {L/t}x {L}y {Ft2/L4}z {L2/t}1


force F:
z =0 |
z= 0
time t:
-x + 2z - 1 = 0 |
x = -1
length L:
x + y - 4z + 2 = 0 | y = -1
B3 = V-1 D-1 <

B4 = Vx Dy Dz F {L/t}x {L}y {Ft2/L4}z {F/L}1


force F:
z+1=0 |
z = -1
time t:
-x + 2z = 0 | x = -2
length L:
x + y - 4z - 1 = 0 | y = -1
B4 = V-2 D-1 D-1 F
Dimensional Relationships

Similitude
Note that this problem includes fluid properties which indicate Reynolds and Weber similitude.
e/D is the relative roughness
</VD is a form of the Reynolds number
F/is a form of the Weber number
FD/DV2D is then a form of the drag equation
where the drag coefficient is:

and the drag equation is:

Typically, the Weber number has a very small effect on FD and CD, and if the surface is smooth,
e/D will have little effect. Laboratory tests have developed graphical relationships of CD versus
Reynolds number for spheres and other shapes.
Note: if the problem were changed to the drag of a sphere on the surface of a fluid, the variable
of (fluid and (sphere would be added, and a form of the Froude number will be a PI term.

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