LOW SPEED FLOW EXPERIMENTS

LABORATORY MANUAL

DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS

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 1. DRAG MEASUREMENT ON CYLINDER USING WAKE SURVEY METHOD

7.1 OBJECTIVE

To measure the drag force acting on the cylinder using wake survey method.

7.2 THEORY

There is an entirely different way of finding the drag on a cylinder, which depends on the
application of the integral momentum equation to the airflow. This equation is derived in
textbooks on the subject, but again for completeness a brief exposition is given here. Consider
the flow of a fluid along a duct of width 2h past a cylindrical body which spans the duct, so that
the motion is two-dimensional as indicated in Figure 1.

Figure 2. Application of the Momentum Equation to Flow 

Along a Duct past a Cylindrical Body 
 
The velocity is U​∞ and the pressure is p​∞ in the oncoming flow. Downstream of the cylinder the
velocity is no longer uniform; let the velocity be u at distance y from the duct center line. The
pressure across the downstream section is assumed to be uniform and has the value P​e​. It is
convenient to refer to the space bounded by the upstream section, downstream section and duct
walls as the control volume and the surface formed by these boundaries as the control surface.
The forces in the x-direction acting on the fluid in the control volume are:
At the upstream section, 2hp​∞​l
At the downstream section, - 2hP​e​l
At the cylinder, -D
 
Note the minus sign for the force exerted by the cylinder on the fluid, which is equal and
opposite to the force exerted by the fluid on the cylinder. Forces due to shear stress on the walls
of the duct and due to the fluid weight are neglected. The momentum flux over the downstream
section is:

Note the minus sign for the force exerted by the cylinder on the fluid, which is equal and
opposite to the force exerted by the fluid on the cylinder. Forces due to shear stress on the walls

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of the duct and due to the fluid weight are neglected. The momentum flux over the downstream
section is:

(1)

and over the upstream section is: 

 

(2)

 
Equating the net force in the x-direction to the momentum flux out of the control volume 
(Reynolds transport theorem) yields: 

(3)

Rearranging and making non-dimensional gives the result: 

(4)

The integral may be made non-dimensional by the substitution y=​η​h so that the final result is: 

(5)

Equation (5) provides a means to calculate C​D from the pressure drop along the duct and the
velocity distribution in the wake. Note that the derivation does not restrict the result to pressure
drag only; the contributions of both pressure and skin friction forces are contained in the force D
which comes into the momentum equation. The skin friction drag on the walls also contributes
to the momentum change and is therefore included in D. It is also worth mentioning that
equation (4) applies only to the case of flow along a duct where the flow is confined between
parallel walls.
 

7.2.1 Notes:

i) X-momentum balance on control volume yields the drag, D:

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where A=2lh

Prove this in your lab write-up.

Note, u​e​(y) = velocity distribution in exit plane where pitot tube measurement is taken

Fig 3 setup

ii) At the exit plane,

iii)

7.3 PROCEDURE

✓ Choose fixed flow rate (near maximum)

✓ Measure P​plenum​ and P​∞​. These are used to obtain U​∞​.

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 ✓ Measure test section width, 2h, and if not done already, test section height, l = cylinder
length.

✓ In exit plane, use pitot tube to measure P​total​(y). Use 2mm increments near centre of the
test section, where velocity changes are large, and 5mm increments when pressure
variations become small. Perform measurements across half of the test section (0 ≤ ​ ​ y ​≤
h). Record P​total​ and y.

✓ Use P​total​(y), measured by pitot tube, to obtain u​e​(y) [using Equation (29)]. Note P​e​= P​atm
= 0 gage

✓ Use Equation (28) to determine D. Note you will have to integrate using
trapezoidal rule or with a planometer.

✓ Calculate C​D​ and Re using equation (4) and (5). Compare this single data point with the
values obtained from part I.

7.4 TABULAR COLUMN

Fan Tunnel Tunnel Tunnel Reynol Lift L Drag D Wake survey rake
speed head pressur velocit ds (N) (N) pressures(mm and
(%) (mm) e (Pa) y(m/s) number Pa)

7.5 EQUIPMENT USED

➢ C15-10 Wind tunnel with IFD7 and flow visualization

➢ PC running software

➢ C15-23 pressure cylinder

➢ C15-11 inclined manometer bank

➢ C15-15 Wake survey rake

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FIG 4 Wake survey rake

7.6 RESULTS

➢ Record l, h, d, P​plenum​, P​∞​, P​room​, T​room​, , U​∞​, and Re

➢ Table showing in order y(m), P​e​(y), u​e​(y), ​ρ​air​u​e​ (y) [(P​e​(y) is measured total pressure at y;
2​

u​e​(y) is velocity at y]
➢ Describe and perform graphical or numerical (i.e. with spreadsheet) integration of

. If done graphically, show graph.

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 ➢ Derive

➢ Calculate Drag, D, and corresponding C​D​ from Equation (33).

➢ On the original plot of Re vs. C​D​, from Method I, clearly plot the single (C​D​, Re) data
point obtained by the wake survey

7.7 CONCLUSIONS