HF 111 PARTICLE DRAG COEFFICIENTS

1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The apparatus is designed to study the drag of particle in a liquid
under various Reynold numbers.
This is done by dropping a particle into a vertical liquid column
and timing its fall between two points. Particle cross section is no more
than 1% of the tube cross section. Various sizes and density of particles
are supplied including stream lined shaped objects.
A guide at the top of the tube is provided to minimize
disturbance to the liquid. Double valves at the bottom of the tubes
provide a mean for particle removal with minimum loss of the liquid. A
fluorescent tube light at the back of the liquid tube allows clear
observation of the particle fall.

1.1

technical Data
1.1.1 Glass tube
x1,5m

: Two 100mm outside diameter

long
1.1.2 Tube top with guide
: 2 ea
1.1.3 Tube bottom with valves
: 2 ea
1.1.4 Ball spheres:
1.1.4.1 Steel
: Diameter: 3, 6, 9 mm
1.1.4.2 Glass or plastics: 2 sizes diameter
1.1.5

Streamlined object

: Steel, diameter 6 and 9

1.1.6

Fluorescent lamp

: 40 W

1.1.7

Stop watch

: 1 ea

Power supply

: 220V, 1 Ph, 50 Hz. Other

mm

1.1.8
power supply

is available on
1.2

Typical Test
1.2.1 Measurement of drag coefficients of sphere under
various Reynold
Numbers
1.2.2 Effect of [article shape on rate of fall and drag
coefficient
1.2.3 Effect of boundary layer separation on motion of sphere
1.2.4 Exploration of dynamic similarity

2. THEORY
When a body is completely immersed in a relatively large
expanse of fluid,
the fluid exerts a resultant force on the body arising from the
relative motion between the body and the fluid. In common practice,
this resultant force is resolved into two kinds or components of
forces as shown in figure 2. The first force component is parallel to
the motion of the body and againsts the movement direction of the
body. This component of force is thereforce called Drag Force.
On the other hand, the second force component which acts at
right angle to the motion of the body is called Lift Force. This lift
force enables the airplane to float in the air.

2.1

Drag

Drag force on a body may be determined by the following

equation:

Where,
Fd

= Drag force,

Cd
= Drag coefficient,
Dimensionless
Kg/m

= Density of fluid,

A
= Projected area of body normal to direction of
motion,m2
V

2.2

= Velocity of body,

m/s

Lift
Lift force on a body may also be determined by the following

equation:

When,
FL

= Lift force,

CL

= Lift coefficient,

Dimensonless

= Density of fluid,

kg/m3

2.3

= Projected area of body normal to lift vector,

= Velocity of the body,

m2

m/s

Free Falling Of A Body In Liquid Column

When a small ball is sinking in liquid, in the first duration
that the ball is dropped the ball will move at accelerated rates
because the forces acting on the ball is not yet in equilibrium.
This accelaration will cause the ball to move down at higher
velocity and against higher drag force. The drag force will be
heigher until this acting force against the body is in an
equilibrium state as shown in Figure 3 below.

The ball will move at constant velocity. Thus force acting on

the ball by free falling in liquid column will be :
FZ = W FB FD = m.a = 0
................ (3)
Where,
W

= Weight of the ball,

FB

= Buoyant force of the ball,

FD

= Drag force of the ball,

= Mass of the ball,

= Acceleration of the ball = 0

kg

The buoyant force of the body can be determined by the

following equation :
FB

. V

Where,

=Specific weight of the liquid,

=Volume of the body,

N/m3
m3

Thus, from equation (3) gives

FD

= W - FB

Subtitute FD from equation (1) in the above equation, give

In case of the tree falling body in fluid at very low Reynolds number
[(VD/)] < 1, where D is diameter of the spherical body, the flow is
considered laminar of viscous flow, total drag can be determined by
Stokes Law, i.e.
FD = 3VD
Substitute this value FD in equation (2) and also substitute A = D2/4
then we get
CD = 24/ReD
The value of CD of spherical body at very low Reynolds numbers may
be obtained from the graph at left hand side of Figure 4.
If the Reynolds number is increased beyond 1, the laminar
boundary layer will separate from the surface of the spherical body,
starting behind the point of zero velocity called stagnation point. At this
point the pressure gradient is very high, which can be seen from Figure 4
that the curve of CD begins to deviate fro the horizontal axis as the drag
force from the pressure is increased and the drag beconmes more
proportional to V2. As the value of the Reynolds number increases further,
the separation point where the boundary layer is separated from the
surface will move forward on the sphere until, at the Reynolds numbers of
about 1,000, the point of separation remains at an angle of about 80
degrees from the stagnation point.
For a considered range og Reynolds numbers with stable condition,
the laminar boundary layer with depart from the surface in the front half
section of the sphere whereby the value of CD is rather constant at about
0.45. However,the value of CD of the mnooth sphere is decreased rapidly
to about 50% when Reynolds number is about 250,000 as shown in Figure
4. This is because of the flow within the boundary layer changes from
laminar flow to turbulent flow;point. Consequently it also result in a
decrease in the size of the make and the pressure drag.

If the level og turbulence in free stream is high, the laminar

boundary layer will transform to the turbulent bpundary layer at lower
Reynolds numbers. Because of the change in position of the separation
point is well defined, the sphere is thus often used as a turbulence
indicator. For value of CD = 0,3, the Reynolads number which is in the
middle range of the curve section on the left side of the graph in Figure 4
will be used for accurate measure of the turbulence.

3. TEST PROCEDURES
3.1 Measure the diameter of the ball or the streamlined body.
3.2 Turn on the fluorescent lamp.
3.3 Fill in an oil of known viscosity into the glass tubes up to the
operating level.
3.4 Measure the temperature of the oil for determination of
density and releasing.
3.5 Drop the ball or the streamlined body through guide tube
section for releasing.
3.6 Start timing for the movement of the ball (or the streamlined
body) from the upper level mark to the lower level mark and
record the time interval.
3.7 Repeat 3.5 and 3.6 many times to find an average velocity of
the ball.
Note: Viscosity of an oil can be obtained from the oil company.