Flow over the cylinder and

spheres
 Drag Coefficient

The part of drag that is due directly to wall shear stress is called the skin friction
drag (or just friction drag) since it is caused by frictional effects, and the part
that is due directly to pressure P is called the pressure drag

The friction drag is the component of the wall shear force in the direction
of flow, and thus it depends on the orientation of the body as well as the
magnitude of the wall shear stress. The friction drag is zero for a surface
normal to flow, and maximum for a surface parallel to flow since the
friction drag in this case equals the total shear force on the surface.
 Friction drag
• The friction drag is the component of the wall
shear force in the direction of flow

• It depends on the orientation of the body as

well as the magnitude of the wall shear stress

• The friction drag is zero for a surface normal

to flow and maximum for a surface parallel to
flow
 Pressure drag
• The pressure drag is proportional to the
difference between the pressures acting on
the front and back of the immersed body, and
the frontal area.
• The pressure drag is usually dominant for
blunt bodies,
• Negligible for streamlined bodies such as
airfoils
• Zero for thin flat plates parallel to the flow.
Flow over a cylinder
Separation point:
Where flow detaches from the surface
of the body
Separation region:
Region behind the body where
recirculating and backflows occurs
Reattachment point:
Where the two flow streams
reattached
Wake region:
The region of flow trailing the body
where the effect of the body on
velocity is felt
 Flow over a cylinder

Stagnation point: Location of zero velocity and maximum pressure

Pressure vs velocity
Cases for flow over a cylinder
 Frictional drag
Exists due to viscous fluid
Dependent of Reynolds number
Important for attached flows
Dependent on flow area of the body
Pressure drag
Exists due to viscous fluid
Less dependent on Reynolds number
Related to wake area
Cross sectional area of the body
Streamlined and bluff bodies

Viscous drag > pressure drag Viscous drag < pressure drag
Streamlined and bluff bodies
Flow over the cylinder at different
Reynolds number
Drag coefficient for different shapes
Drag coefficient vs Reynolds number
Nusselt number vs Reynolds number