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FINAL Wind Tunnel

The document discusses drag on a circular cylinder. It describes how drag is calculated using drag and lift coefficients along with fluid density, velocity, and projected area. The document outlines the procedure to measure pressure and velocity in a wind tunnel experiment using a cylinder. Calculations are shown to determine drag coefficient using two methods. Sources of error in the practical experiment are discussed along with improvements. The use of wind tunnels to study fluid flow is also discussed.

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Jaanu Santhiran
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190 views6 pages

FINAL Wind Tunnel

The document discusses drag on a circular cylinder. It describes how drag is calculated using drag and lift coefficients along with fluid density, velocity, and projected area. The document outlines the procedure to measure pressure and velocity in a wind tunnel experiment using a cylinder. Calculations are shown to determine drag coefficient using two methods. Sources of error in the practical experiment are discussed along with improvements. The use of wind tunnels to study fluid flow is also discussed.

Uploaded by

Jaanu Santhiran
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DRAG ON A CIRCULAR

CYLINDER
Introduction

In the applications of fluid dynamics, flow around the bodies is very important. In such
applications, characteristics of forces acting on bodies are needed to produce efficient aerodynamics
& hydrodynamic designs. For examples, principles of fluid flow have to be given an important place
when designing aircrafts, ships, automobiles, buildings or even a house. The various aspects of the
flow around circular cylinders have been investigated because of the fundamental mechanisms
exhibited by this flow and its numerous industrial applications. Offshore structures, heat exchangers,
tube arrays, chimneys & electrical conductors in transmission lines are also a few examples.

When a cylinder is placed in a fluid stream the resultant flow field represents complex
behavior. At relatively small velocities (Low Reynolds numbers) the flow is attached and at higher
velocities (High Reynolds numbers) the flow separates from the cylinder surface to form a wake
behind the body. In particular, at very high Re the wake consists of two regimes near wake & far
wake. In theory it is assumed that the cylinder is infinite in length & placed transversely in a fluid
stream.

Dynamic forces acting on the body is mainly due to surface stresses: the pressure (normal
stress) and shear (tangential stress). At higher Re effects due to shear stress becomes negligible and
pressure forces dominant.
Theory
There are 2 types of forces acting on a body: Lift & Drag. The component of the resulting force in the
direction of the relative velocity of the fluid with respect to body is known as Drag Fore F D(or Drag D). The
force component perpendicular to the relative velocity is called Lift Force L (or Lift L).

The total drag & lift forces are usually defined by:

1 1
D= CD ρ U0²A L= CL ρ U0²A
2 2

Where
CD = Drag Coefficient
CL = Lift Coefficient
ρ = Fluid Density
U0= Fluid Velocity
A = Projected area (i.e. the area of the body’s projection on a plane perpendicular to the relative
direction of motion)

Procedure

 Turn on the wind tunnel and adjust the flow velocity.


 Place the cylinder with orifice in the appropriate position.
 Measure the pressure at equally spaced angles around the cylinder axis.
 Measure out the flow rate of wind at equally spaced heights from bottom of the outlet to
the top.
 Using the values obtained calculate the drag coefficient.
Calculations
Method 1:

2 πr
Dp = ∮ P s cos ( θ ) ds = ∑ hi sin ( 40 ) ρg× cos ( θi ) ×
36

2 πr
= sin ( 40 ) × ρg ∑ hi cos ⁡( θ i)
36

= 7.8069Nm-1

Dtot = 7.8069 x L

= 3.51N

1
D tot = C D ρ U 20 A
2

A=D× L(where Dis the diameter)

∴ C D=0.03139

Method 2:

1
V = 13.45ms-2
n∑ i
Average velocity (U0) =

By applying the Bernoulli’s equation,

V2
P0 + + Z=k
2g

V 29−U 20
P0=0+ +0
2g

P0 = 1.9053 Pa

∑ V i2=1453.58 m2 s−4
D=P 0 H + ρ ¿

D=¿14.6633Nm-1

Dtot =D × L

D tot =6.598 N

1
D tot = C D ρ U 20 A
2

A=D× L(where Dis the diameter)

∴ C D=¿
Discussion

Errors in the practical


 The measuring errors made when getting the values for the diameter and length for the
cylinder.
 Errors in obtaining the correct height for the pressure values.
 Rotation angle of hole might have not been in the exact position.
 The anemometer positions were not exact and the readings were rapidly fluctuating.
 The frictional forces are neglected in the practical.
 The cylinder was assumed to be infinitely long.
 The flow in the wind tunnel was assumed to be a uniform flow.

Improvement s on the errors


 The readings for pressure was taken twice in clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation and
averaged, for precision.
 The alcoholic column was kept in a tilted angle instead of keeping it straight.

DISCUSSION OF WIND TUNNEL


The pressure variation around the cylindrical body was observed in this practical. A wind
tunnel was used to provide a uniform flow of air for the cylindrical body. A wind tunnel is a
chamber, where the air flows through, at different velocities, which can be controlled by the user.
This is mainly used by the Aerodynamicists to test the models of proposed aircrafts.

Wind tunnels are designed for specific purpose and speed range, there are tunnels used for
propulsion, icing research, subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic flight, and also full scale testing. As
performed in the practical wind tunnel can be used to analyze pressure measurements, using the
pressure taps included in the surface of the analyzing model, in pressure dominated phenomena. The
lift, drag and lateral forces can also be analyzed by making certain arrangements to the model. Also
the flow can be visualized using certain techniques such as use of smoke, tufts, oil, sublimation
method and evaporating suspensions.

In short the wind tunnel is a very effective method to perform fluid flow analysis around any
type of body.
Patterns of flow around a circular cylinder.

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