A New Mathematical Model for

Coand Effect Velocity Approximation

Valeriu DRGAN*
*Corresponding author
*POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering
Str. Gheorghe Polizu, nr. 1, sector 1, 011061, Bucharest, Romania
drvaleriu@gmail.com
DOI: 10.13111/2066-8201.2012.4.4.7

Abstract: This paper addresses the problem of obtaining a set of mathematical equations that can
accurately describe the velocity flow field near a cylindrical surface influenced by the Coand effect.
The work is relevant since the current state of the art Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes models with
curvature correction do not completely describe the properties of the flow in accordance with the
experimental data. Semi-empirical equations are therefore deduced based on experimental and
theoretical state of the art. The resulting model is validated over a wider range of geometric layouts
than any other existing semi-empirical model of its kind. The applications of this model are numerous,
from super circulation wing calculations to fluidic devices such as actuators or fluidic diodes.
Key Words: Coanda effect, fluidic device, CEVA, super circulation, regression, semi-empirical
equation, wall jet.

1. INTRODUCTION
The Coand effect is encountered in virtually all aerodynamic applications and can be
described as the tendency of a fluid to attach itself to a curved wall (oriented away from the
direction of flow) Ref [1]. Some authors [2, 3] propose the calculation of the pressure drop
over the ramp trough a balance between pressure forces and centrifugal forces as shown in
Fig.1 acting upon a unit volume on its curved trajectory imposed by the wall curvature.
The aeronautical applications of the Coand effect date back to Ion Stroescus patented
upper surface and trailing edge blowing high lift devices Ref [4, 5]; however, the technical
applications extend to many other fields such as fluidic and micro fluidic devices Ref [6 ,7].
Nevertheless the first attempts to describe the flow fields near a Coand effect ramp were
semi-empirical Ref [8, 9, 10], lately the most prominent methods used by authors Ref [1114] are numerical RANS models which are increasingly easy to use both because of the
developing computing power and because of the level of sophistication offered by curvature
correction viscosity models such as the SARC Ref [15], k-omega SST RC Ref [16, 17] and
others.
However, the curvature correction in most RANS models targets the turbulence
production or (specific) dissipation terms in order to accurately estimate the separation point
of the flow which in the standard models is usually overestimated Ref [18]. These
approaches do not offer a correct velocity flow field around the curved surface when
compared to the experimental data Ref [19, 20]. It is therefore the purpose of this paper to
determine a set of simple semi-empirical equations that being generated from experimental
data, can correctly match the physical measurements for wall jets subject to the Coand
effect.
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86

Plenum
Pressure

uj

FC
FP
(Pressure Forces)

(Centrifugal Forces)

um()

Jet

Fig. 1 The geometrical setup of a curved wall jet

2. THE PROPOSED MODEL

Essentially, most experimental studies that have been carried out through the 1980s and
90s bear the following traits:
1. The flow is thin, typically the blowing slot height is less than 6% of the curvature
radius R.
2. The atmosphere is quiescent i.e. the velocity of the ambient air is null.
3. The blowing velocities are low, usually less than 50 m/s
The proposed model, CEVA (Coand Effect Velocity Approximation), is based on the
observation that thin wall jets display self-similarity as shown in Fig.2 Ref [21, 22].
This is a strong indicator that the boundary layer is laminar since self-similarity criteria
are not encountered in turbulent boundary layers due to the more complex velocity profile
development Ref [23].
As in the case of the other semi-empirical models, a radial velocity distribution is
determined, describing the normalized u/um as a function of y/y1/2.
Knowing that the velocity profile is self-similar we can describe the true velocity profile
for each individual angular location by determining the respective maximum velocity u m as
well as the respective reference thickness y1/2. For achieving this, the practice is to describe
the two key parameters, um and y1/2, as a function of the h/R ratio and the circumferential
distance from the blowing slot, x-x0.
In the case of the local maximum velocity, the equation is typically expressed as a ratio
between um and the initial blowing velocity uj.
Another parameter that is explicitly calculated is the wall jet boundary layer thickness,
ym. All of the existing models regard ym as linear dependent on y1/2, which is true since we
assume the self-similarity of the profile. However, in the far out regions of the ramp for
angular positions higher than 180, the boundary layer starts growing at a higher rate due to
the transition from laminar to turbulent Wygnansky Ref [24]. It should be noted that in
Lewinsky and Yehs definition the ym notation represents the thickness for which the local
maximum velocity is found. Later on, the notation was changed by Rodman et al. to denote
the boundary layer thickness ( therefore the velocity encountered at ym is equal to 99% of the
maximum local velocity um).
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y
y1
2

ym
u/um
Fig. 2 The normalized radial velocity distribution as presented by Wygnansky Ref [22].

In theory, as well as in practice, the portion in the near proximity of the blowing slot
does not exhibit the self-similarity properties; this is linked with flow development and limits
the models to within a distance of at least 20 away from the blowing slot.
Another exception is signaled by Wygnansky Ref [24] and refers to the transition from
laminar to turbulent boundary layer in the very far regions of the ramp, typically at angular
positions higher than 180.
This does not influence the applicability of the model since most wings that use the
Coand effect both Upper Surface Blown Wings Ref [25] and entrainment wings [26]
maintain the jet attached on a section ranging from 80 to 110.
Early models describe the radial velocity distribution with two separate equations, for
the boundary layer and for the far field, e.g. the Rodman Wood Roberts (RWR) model:
1

y n y n
u
2
um
ym ym

, y ym

(1)

k
(
y

y
)
u

m
sech 2
um
y ym
1

, y ym

(2)

Note that for the purposes of this paper, the boundary layer thickness is noted with ym
rather than the classical . This change in notation is generally accepted because the fluidic
jet may be used in conjunction with an external flow, in which case the symbol will denote
the boundary layer thickness formed by the respective external flow on the wing or
aerodynamic body.
In the above model the value for ym which depends on the angular (or circumferential)
position on the ramp, the curvature radius and also the height of the blowing slot shall be
calculated.

ym
0,159
y1

(3)

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y1
2

Rk
n x x0 h
exp K
1

h n
k h R

(4)

The model constants are

k=0.8814;

n [6;7]

K 7.3 102

We observe that the boundary layer thickness ym is linear dependent with the reference
thickness y1/2 which represents the thickness corresponding to the tangential velocity equal to
half of the maximum local velocity u m. Another key point is that the boundary layer
thickness varies exponentially to the circumferential position.
The final equation of the RWR model quantifies the velocity drop across the ramp as a
ratio of the initial blowing velocity:

um u j 4,9 9, 6
h

0,55

(5)

We must point out that the local maximum velocity for angular positions immediately
close to the blowing slot are higher than the blowing velocity uj.
This is one of the reasons for which the Coand effect generates a pressure drop, i.e. it
increases the dynamic pressure of the jet so that the static pressure must drop below the
atmospheric pressure (especially in fully expanded jets).
Banner gives a rough estimate of the pressure coefficient due to the Coand effect as a
function of slot height h and curvature radius R:

cP 2

h
R

(6)

One of the weaknesses of the RWR model is that it only formally includes the h/R ratio
in its equations. This leads to insensitivity to this ratio in determining the reference thickness
for various geometries. In general the RWR model is used for h/R ratios less than or equal to
2%. By substituting the model constants into Eq.4, one can easily obtain:

x x0

y 1 R 0.147 exp 0.497

1
R

(7)

In order to improve the existing model, the current study went on to using the existing
experimental data for a variety of h/R geometries encountered in the literature. The highest
h/R ratio encountered is 5.95% which is the limit of the validation for the proposed model.
By means of non-linear regression, each individual h/R case was expressed in the form of an
empirical equation, having its own individual constants. After a satisfactory general equation
form was established i.e. an equation form that provided close matches for each individual
case, we proceeded to express the individual coefficients as a function of h/R. The resulting
equation for the reference thickness in the CEVA model is:

6, 473 h / R

exp k1 C
y1 h

2
5,9 10 h / R 1 (h / R) / 1,3 10
h

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With the constant k1

k1 1, 62 102

3,56 102
1 10[50,65(0.38h / R )]

(9)

This confirms Rodmans observation that the expression for the reference thickness
must be exponential in shape.
Further development of the hereby proposed CEVA model refers to the variation of the
maximum velocity near the ramp:
2
2

h
h
h C
h
2
2

9,
6

10

25,
21

396

6,
7

10

0,155

68

R
R
R h
R

um u j

2
2
C

h
5
2 h
h 2, 6 10 5,8 10 R 3,1 R

1
2

(10)

Where the circumferential position on the ramp

C x x0

(11)

In this case, quadratic expressions were found more suited for both the general equation
and the individual coefficients.
Figure 3 shows extrapolations of the three equations determined for the individual
coefficients. It can easily be seen that the extrapolations follow a natural tendency which
may be an indication that the validity of the equations proposed hereby exceeds the 6% h/R
ratio.

Fig. 3 Extrapolations of the quadratic equations for the three empirical coefficients determined for Eq.10

Another addition to the CEVA model which is unique is the restriction of the maximum
blowing velocity and the maximum momentum coefficient already described in Ref [27].
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In short, the maximum blowing velocity allowed so that the jet will remain attached to
the surface of the cylindrical ramp is based on Lowrys empirical equation for the maximum
pressure difference:

P
1.4
3
Patm
h/ R

(12)

And hence

u j max

T jet R gas
M

k 1

2k 1.4 k

1
k 1 3 h / R

(13)

where
Rgas is the perfect gas constant (the symbol is changed in order to avoid the confusion
with the geometric radius R of the ramp)
k is the specific heat ratio of the gas
Lastly, another addition to the model can be the empirical equation provided by
Newman Ref [28]for estimating the boundary layer separation which is valid for h/R ratios
less or equal to 10% - which covers the CEVA model.

sep 245 391

h/ R
1 1,125h / R

(14)

3. MODEL VALIDATION
Due to the fact that the CEVA model is entirely based on the interpretation of existing
experimental data, the correlation with the physical measurements is intrinsic.
In Fig. 4 we show the correlation of Eq. 10 with the experimental data from the
literature of specialty Ref [9].

Fig. 4 The correlation of the experimental data with the proposed CEVA model Eq.10

A first comment is that for very low h/R ratios, the CEVA model predicts behaviour
very similar to that of a plane wall jet, i.e. the plotted graph is all but linear in shape.
Secondly, for high h/R ratios, above 7.5%, the tendency of the model is to be hindered,
almost asymptotically.
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A New Mathematical Model for Coand Effect Velocity Approximation

This trend makes the model useful even for higher h/R ratios than 6% since the results
given do not fluctuate too much outside the data for which we can be certain it is valid.
Figure 5 shows similar tendencies in the case of the correlation of Eq.8 with the
experimental data.
Therefore the model obtained here is extended from the h/R = 2% in the case of the
Rodman Wood Roberts model to almost 6% and with the prospect of being sufficiently
accurate to up to 10%.

Fig. 5 The correlation of the experimental data with the proposed CEVA model Eq.8

4. CONCLUSIONS
The paper presents a new mathematical model regarding the velocity distribution of a curved
wall jet subject to the Coand effect. The model can be used to accurately predict velocity
and hence pressure distribution for a simple Coand flow, however it can be extended to
more complex geometries which are the subject of further work. Improvements are made
regarding the range for which the CEVA model is validated as opposed to existing models
such as the Rodman-Wood-Roberts model. In the case of CEVA the maximum h/R ratio for
which the experimental data overlap is 6% whereas the RWR model is only validated for h/R
~ 2%. The superior range is given by the explicit introduction of the h/R ratio into the u m and
y1/2 equations. Other additions to the model are a restriction for the maximum blowing
velocity uj which is based on Lowrys empirical equation for maximum blowing pressure.
This restriction can also be calculated with an empirical equation originally proposed in Ref
[27]. Also an estimation of the separation angle sep based on Newmans work is introduced.

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