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(i) To determine the Cp distribution of circular cylinder and compare with theoretical results.
(ii) To study the effect of Reynolds number on the Cp distribution.
Apparatus:
Suction Type Wind Tunnel
Air is sucked through a duct equipped with a viewing port and instrumentation
where models are mounted for study. Typically the air is moved through the tunnel using
a series of fans.
The airflow created by the fans that is entering the tunnel is itself highly turbulent , partly
due to the fan blade motion. The air moving through the tunnel needs to be relatively
turbulence-free and laminar. To correct this problem, closely spaced vertical and
horizontal air vanes called honeycombs (1 sq. inch) and wire mesh screens (1 sq.
mm.) are used to smooth out the turbulent airflow before reaching the subject of the
testing. This forms the low velocity settling chamber of the wind tunnel.
The velocity is increased in the contraction part upto maximum speeds of 35 m/s. The
pressure measured in this part is the total/stagnation pressure or P o.
In test section, several experiments involving flow visualization, measurement of
pressure, forces and moments as well as boundary layer in favorable and adverse
pressure gradients are conducted on small models.
The purpose of the diffuser is to allow the air exiting the test section to expand and
gradually slow down, thus reducing the dynamic pressure (kinetic energy) and increasing
the static pressure. This reduces the current drawn by the fan motor or, alternatively,
allows a higher speed to be achieved for a given motor/fan size and current draws. The
angle included by the diffuser walls is generally limited to approximately 5 maximum
pressure recovery actually occurs at a somewhat greater angle, but the boundary layer is
close enough to separation in the flow through the diffuser and hence the entire tunnel
may become unsteady.
Fig. 1
Circular Cylinder
A long circular cylinder is placed in the test section, such that its ends are fixed to the
walls of the wind tunnel. Thus it can be taken as an infinite circular cylinder. 20 ports are
present on the circumference of the cylinder, i.e. at an interval of 18, which are
connected to a pressure scanner.
Theory:
The pressure coefficient is a dimensionless number which describes the relative pressures
throughout a flow field in fluid dynamics. The coefficient of pressure is defined as:
where,
( )
=
Fig. 2
If Re D >40K (Subcritical Reynolds Number), the boundary layer becomes turbulent. Due to
turbulence, the flow remains attached with the surface of the cylinder and separation takes place
at a later angle. T he wake region is smaller and therefore drag will be less.
Fig. 3
Since the surface of the cylinder is smooth the flow will be laminar and in this case friction drag
will be less, pressure drag will be high compared to the turbulent flow. Thus the flow would
separate at an angle of around 80-90.
In case of potential flow over a circular cylinder, we can get easily the pressure distribution over
the cylindrical surface using the Bernoullis equation.
= +
= +
( )
Thus,
=
( )
As the flow is assumed to be incompressible and inviscid, we can apply the potential flow theory
to get a theoretical estimate of the pressure distribution. Shown below is a circular cylinder kept
in a potential flow.
Fig. 4
From potential flow solutions, we have U=U r +U , where U r = 0 and U = -2U sin, where is the
angle measured as shown in the above figures. Finally, we have for theoretical calculations,
=
For experimental calculations, we have
=
( )
( )
=
( )
Experimental Procedure:
o
The circular cylinder was placed in the test section initially at 0 degree.
20 ports of Scanivalve Pressure sensor were connected to the cylinder at 18 intervals, the
REF port was connected to the inlet section to measure P and another port was
connected to settling chamber to measure P0.
The flow was started at a speed of 19m/s and the readings over transducer were recorded
after passing through the DAQ.
The above step was repeated up to 360 degree by increasing angle by 18 degree in each
step.
Observations:
Angle ()
(in degree)
P - P
(in mV)
P0 - P
(in mV)
Theoretical Cp
223.2908
229.6473
0.972321
-2.76794
18
200.0208
229.6473
0.6180
0.870991
40.92935
36
60.77065
229.6473
-0.3820
0.264626
-169.28
54
-166.635
229.6473
-1.6180
-0.72561
-55.1547
72
-295.9254
229.6473
-2.6180
-1.28861
-50.7795
90
-248.0028
229.6473
-3
-1.07993
-64.0024
108
-250.9674
229.6473
-2.6180
-1.09284
-58.2573
126
-248.7236
229.6473
--1.6180
-1.08307
-33.0627
144
-210.9848
229.6473
-0.3820
-0.91873
140.5277
162
-248.1673
229.6473
0.6180
-1.08065
-274.852
180
-251.2019
229.6473
-1.09386
-209.386
198
-248.7802
229.6473
0.6180
-1.08331
-275.284
216
-260.5498
229.6473
-0.3820
-1.13457
197.033
234
-257.052
229.6473
-1.6180
-1.11933
-30.8214
252
-250.2366
229.6473
-2.6180
-1.08966
-58.3788
270
-251.0831
229.6473
-3
-1.09334
-63.5553
288
-215.994
229.6473
-2.6180
-0.94055
-64.0743
306
-251.6286
229.6473
--1.6180
-1.09572
-32.2809
324
-66.67651
229.6473
-0.3820
-0.29034
-23.9872
342
144.6353
229.6473
0.6180
0.629815
1.906198
360
223.2908
229.6473
0.972321
-2.76794
CP = 1-4sin
Experimental Cp
% Error
()
( )
Calculation:
= = 229.6473
U = 19 m/s
Thus, Density of air = 1.2724 kg/m3 =
Dynamic viscosity of air at Room temperature = = 1.846 * 10 -5 kg/m s
Diameter of cylinder = D =38 mm
Thus, Reynoldss number is given by,
ReD =
Calculation of Cd and Cl :
Cd =
Cl =
We use trapezoidal rule to evaluate the given integrals. Trapezoidal rule for a given integral is as
follows and can be calculated in MATLAB using the function trapz(X,Y).
Cl = 0.0843
V (m/s)
Re
Cl
Cd
14
37639.85
0.063
1.2582
19
49761.06
0.0843
1.1626
24.7
61846.89
0.0835
1.0602
29
72717.45
0.0773
1.1212
33.2
83469.90
0.1085
1.1618
Results:
1. Reynoldss number (ReD) of the given flow is 49761.06. Flow is in laminar region (Re D
<400000), and the separation is seen at around 80 as expected.
2. Cd = 1.1626 and Cl = 0.0843 for the given ReD.
3. Plots
Fig 5: Cp vs
Fig 6: Cd vs Re
Discussions:
1) In this experiment we determined the pressure distribution over a circular cylinder in a
uniform flow, and thus obtained the pressure coefficient experimentally and compared it
with the theoretical value.
2) From first graph it was inferred that pressure distribution was roughly symmetric about
the horizontal axis. This implied no generation of lift. The theoretical graph also implied
symmetry about the vertical axis, which was not the case with the experimental graph.
This implies that ideally the circular cylinder doesnt experience drag, although in actual
case it does. This is the DAlemberts Paradox, and is explained using the boundary layer
concept, which leads to separation of flow.
3) Cp nearly follows the theoretical solution for the front half of the cylinder (-90< <90).
But in the rear end of the cylinder due to adverse pressure gradient, flow separation
occurs and the Cp distribution changes drastically leading to deviation.
4) The set of equations used to obtain the theoretical values assumes that the flow is steady,
incompressible, inviscid and negligible body forces. In the above experiment we are
implying a potential flow. This leads to the difference in the two pressure distribution
plots as discussed above.
5) The study of the flow over a circular cylinder is basic but very important in aerodynamics.
It can be indirectly used to study flow over an actual airfoil. Various transformations like
the Zhukovsky Transformation use conformal mapping to transform certain airfoils to
circular airfoils, over which calculations can be easily performed.
6) Due to rotation of cy linder, the potential flow solution would require an addition of a 2-D
point vortex centered at the centre of the circular cylinder. T here would be an uneven
distribution of velocities on the upper and lower surfaces of the cylinder thus creating an
upward or downward (lift) force depending upon the rotation of the cylinder.
7) For 0<Re<4, flow is attached and called Stokes Flow; for 4<Re<40, flow separates,
forming stable vortices; for Re>40 these vortices become unstable and flow downstream
as shed vortices and is called a Kalman Vortex Street; for Re~10 5 this vortex street
becomes turbulent and metamorphoses into a distinct wake. The laminar boundary layer
separates at a point about 80 from the stagnation point; for Re~10 6 laminar to turbulent
transition takes place in the boundary layer over the top of separated region and the flow
reattaches and separates at about 120 for which there is a significant drop in C d; for even
higher Re, the points of separation move toward the forward face, fattening the wake,
increasing the Cd.
8) From the graph of Cd vs Re, it was seen that as Re increased, Cd decreased at first but then
started increasing. This change however, was not a big one and if the range of Re were to
be increased as in the previous point, the values can be considered constant in the range
considered for the current experiment. The most significant drop occurs during transition
to turbulent boundary layer.
Fig 6
References:
[1] John D Anderson JR., Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, 5th edition, Tata McGraw Hill. Inc.,
New York
[2] Fig 1: Bapu Joglekar, Rana Manoj Mourya, Design, construction and testing open circuit
low speed wind tunnel, ISSN 2348-697X (Online), Vol. 2, Issue 4, pp: (1-9).
[3] Fig 2- 3: http://www.dept.aoe.vt.edu/~aborgolt/aoe3054/manual/expt3/index.html