Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications,

Yunus A. Cengel

(Chapter 11)

EXTERNAL FLOW: DRAG AND LIFT

The resultant of the pressure and wall shear forces acting on a body is measured to be
700 N, making 35 degree with the direction of flow . Determine the drag and lift forces
Acting on the body.
The transition from laminar to turbulent flow depends on the surface geometry,
surface roughness, upstream velocity, surface temperature, and the type of fluid,
among other things , and is best characterized by the Reynolds number.

For flow over a smooth flat plate, transition from laminar to turbulent begins at
about Re = 1 x 105 but does not become fully turbulent before the Reynolds
number reaches much higher values , typically around 3 x 106.

In engineering analysis, a generally accepted value for the critical Reynolds number
is:
Example
• The local atmospheric pressure in Denver, Colorado (elevation 1610 m) is
83.4 kPa. Air at this pressure and at 25°C flows with a velocity of 6 m/s
over a 2.5-m 8-m flat plate. Determine the drag force acting on the top
surface of the plate if the air flows parallel to the (a) 8-m-long side and (b)
the 2.5-m-long side.
 Example
• A small aircraft has a wing area of 30 m2, a lift coefficient of 0.45 at takeoff
settings, and a total mass of 2800 kg. Determine (a) the takeoff speed of
this aircraft at sea level at standard atmospheric conditions, (b) the wing
loading, and (c) the required power to maintain a constant cruising speed
of 300 km/h for a cruising drag coefficient of 0.035.