Lab 14: A Study of Lift and Drag on Selected Bodies

Background
Whenever a fluid flows past a submerged body, there are interaction forces between the
fluid and the body. These forces are due to the pressure and the viscous shear stress distributions
summed up over the entire surface between the body and the fluid. This force is usually
separated into a component parallel to the free stream velocity U that is called FDrag (D in your
text), and a component perpendicular to U that is called Flift (L in your text) when it acts against
gravity. The lift and drag for a particular flow situation are usually expressed as dimensionless
parameters called the lift and drag coefficients:
F /A FDrag / A
C L = Lift2 CD = [1]
ρU / 2 ρU 2 / 2
where generally the area in each case is the projection of the body onto a plane whose normal
points in the direction of the force. One notable exception to this is the case of an airfoil where
for convenience purposes both the lift and the drag coefficients are based on the plan area of the
airfoil. Many bodies are symmetric in their shape and will not generate any force perpendicular
to U, however all bodies will generate a drag force when submerged in a flowing fluid. Generally
this force is undesirable because it places a load on stationary structures or applies a retarding
force on moving vehicles requiring the expenditure of energy to maintain a given speed. In the
interest of improving the efficiency of transportation vehicles, much effort has gone into
reducing the drag force for vehicles (generally referred to as “streamlining”).
The theoretical prediction of lift and drag is a complicated problem. One has to predict
the potential flow field pattern around the body that will give an approximate pressure
distribution on the surface of the body. This in itself is a formidable task even for a 2-D flow
field, let alone 3-D. Furthermore, in order to predict the viscous drag, the nature of the boundary
layer (laminar or turbulent, whether it separates or remains attached, and wall shear stress
correlation) must be known. This is a difficult task even for a flat plate where the free stream
velocity is parallel to the surface and constant (no pressure gradient). For these reasons, the
measurement of drag and lift is determined empirically and then expressed in the form of π terms
(CD and CL). Since generally the drag force depends of the fluid viscosity μ, the drag coefficient
will depend on the Reynolds number. In some cases the drag force will be almost entirely the
result of the pressure forces acting on the body and in these cases the CD will be independent of
Reynolds number. Try to identify which is the case in the experimental examples studied in this
laboratory exercise.

Experimental Apparatus
The models to be tested during this laboratory exercise will be placed in a low speed
wind tunnel manufactured by the AeroLab company. It is an open circuit, suction driven wind
tunnel that is capable of test section velocities of up to about 55 mi/hr (80 ft/sec). The test section
is 12 inches in diameter. It is equipped with a piezometer ring to sense the static pressure and
apply it to the air speed indicator calibrated in mi/hr. Remember that, neglecting losses ahead of
the test section, the difference between the room and the test section static pressures is equal to
the velocity pressure in the test section. The air density in the test section may be assumed to be
the same as in the room. There are two of the wind tunnels in the laboratory. One will be used to
measure the drag on several common shapes and the other will have an airfoil model to be tested.

14-1
Each of the wind tunnels is equipped with a force measuring balance which will indicate the lift
and drag forces to a resolution of .01 lbf. The model support causes some drag so be sure that the
force balance is adjusted to indicate zero drag when there is no model on the support but the air
is flowing. The common shapes to be tested are: (1.) A flat disk, a sphere, and an open
hemisphere (forward and reverse) all having the same diameter and (2.) A flat disk, a
streamlined body with hemisphere end upstream, and the same body reversed; all having the
same diameter. The airfoil model which will be tested is a NACA 0015 that is symmetrical about
its chord line (straight line from leading to trailing edge) and has a maximum thickness of 15%
of the chord length occurring 30% of the distance from the leading edge of the chord. Airfoils
develop lift by being located in the air flow at an “angle of attack” relative to the flow. The
airfoil support has a mechanism to adjust the angle of attack.

Experimental Procedure
Each laboratory section will be divided into two groups. Initially one group will test the
airfoil and the other will test the common shapes and then exchange tasks. There is an Excel
spreadsheet titled 335labdraglift.xls that is to be used to record all of the data and calculate the
results. Some of the calculation equations are already entered in the worksheet but you will have
to enter the ones to calculate the lift and drag coefficients. Each workgroup will submit only one
report. The TA will indicate the details concerning the number of test runs and the air velocities
to be used. The room temperature (oF) and barometric pressure (in Hg) will need to be
determined and entered into the spreadsheet.

Report
Each workgroup will submit a group report before leaving the laboratory. It will include
all of the data and the calculated results called for on the template spreadsheet. Include a plot of
CD and CL vs. angle of attack for the airfoil. Include discussion comments on a separate
worksheet. Compare the common shape drag coefficients with values given in your text or other
reference. Explain the reason(s) for the difference in the orientation direction on the drag
coefficient for the streamline body (hint--consider boundary layer separation). Which drag
coefficients would you expect to depend on Reynolds number (hint---consider whether the drag
is significantly affected by viscous surface shear stress)? What is the reason for the leveling off
and then decrease of the lift coefficient for the airfoil as the angle of attack is increased?

L14LiftDrag.doc

14-2