Low Speed Flow over Circular

Cylinder
AE312 - Aerodynamics Laboratory

Department of Aerospace Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Feb 13 , 2023

Ninad Chaphekar, 200010016

Instructor - Prof. J.C. Mandal

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1 Objective
• Measure the surface pressure distribution of the cylinder at different Reynolds
number and compute the form (pressure drag)

• Find the velocity in the wake and find out the total (parasitic) drag by
balancing the momentum in the x-direction.

• Find out the skin friction drag derived from form and parasitic drag

• Study the pressure distribution over the cylinder and locate the separa-
tion/stagnation points

2 Theory

Figure 1: Flow past a circular cylinder

2.1 Flow over a cylinder

As the Reynolds number (Re) increases, the plot of flow separation shifts to
higher angles, resulting in a narrower wake, weaker vortices and reduced drag
coefficient(Cd ).

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 Figure 2: Flow near seperation

Flow over circular cylinders has been studied experimentally for Reynolds num-
bers as low as 05 to as high as 4 x 106 (Trans critical Reynolds Number). At a low
Reynolds number (≤ 5), flow separation does not occur and it starts separating
in the range of 5 ≤ Re ≤ 40 from the rear side with a symmetric pair of vor-
tices in the near wake. Above this value, the wake becomes unstable and vortex
shedding is initiated which remains laminar for Re up to 200 and then transitions
to a turbulent wake. Laminar Boundary Layer separates at subcritical Reynolds
Number (300 ≤ Re ≤ 300000 ) and Turbulent Boundary Layer separates at Crit-
ical Re (300000 ≤ Re ≤ 350000). The boundary layer becomes fully turbulent at
transcritical Re
ρV D
Re = µ

ρ is the fluid viscosity

V is the fluid velocity
D is the cylinder diameter (characteristic dimension)
µ is the dynamic fluid viscosity

2.2 Variation of drag over Cylinder with Re

We can see that there is a sharp reduction in drag at about Re = 200,000, which
is brought on by the attached boundary layer becoming turbulent. The turbulent
layer can withstand the negative pressure gradient surrounding the cylinder and
separates later, leading to weaker, smaller vortices and less base suction, which
reduces drag. This phenomenon is known as Drag Crisis.

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 Figure 3: Flow at different Re

2.3 Strouhal Number

fD
S= U

where S is the Strouhals number f is the frequency of vortex shedding , D is the

diameter and U is the velocity.
We see that the relation between Reynolds number and Strouhals number helps
in telling the degree of bluffness of the body.

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2.4 Velocity profiles
As we know from the obstacle (cylinder), there is a change in momentum across
the cylinder, the Velocity Profiles resemble a Gaussian curve. Due to this, the
velocity in the wake region is lower than the freestream velocity, and this change
in momentum only causes the body to experience total drag.

2.5 Cp distribution over the surface of cylinder

From Bernoulli’s Equation, we get the formula for Cp as
P − P∞
Cp = 2
(1)
0.5ρU∞

At the leading edge, there is a stagnation point where the oncoming flow is bought
to rest.
From the stagnation point, the flow accelerates on either side in the front surface
dropping the pressure. Due to the viscous effects, a thin boundary layer is formed
near the surface of the cylinder. The nature of the boundary layer affects the
separation of the flow on the cylinder. If the attached boundary layer is turbulent,
the separation will be delayed and the pressure in the separated region is higher
and closer to the inviscid level. The theoretical solution to this flow can be
obtained by using the inviscid potential theory. The pressure coefficient can
be obtained from the following equation:

Cp = 1 − 4sin2 (θ) (2)

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2.6 Formulae (Using Trapezoid rule for integration)
P V (y) V (y)
Cd,total = D2 Vwake [1 − Vwake ]∆y
Cd,pressure = 12 Cpcosθ∆θ
P

Cd,f riction = Cd,total − Cd,pressure

3 Apparatus
• Wind Tunnel : This is a Device which produces airflow relative to the body
.it has a honeycomb structure and set of strings to reduce turbulence and
ensure the flow is laminar

• Bluff Body(Cylinder) : This is the Obstacle which we place in the wind

tunnel and do the experiment

• Controlling Device : We set the RPM of the wind tunnel using this device

• Pitot Static Probe : Device which is used to measure the Static and
Stagnation Pressure readings.

• Thermometer : It is used to measure Ambient Temperature.

• Digital Manometer : To record pressure readings through Pitot tube

4 Procedure
• Record the Ambient Pressure and Temperature values

• Set the wind tunnel at 17m/s

• Calibrate the Pitot tube which we will use to measure pressure in the wake
region using the values measured from the Pitot-Static tube

• Calibrate the Pitot tube connected to cylinder using the Pitot-Static tube

• Using the Calibrated Pitot tube , note the Pressure measured by the pitot
tube at 0 angle and keep rotating the cylinder by 3deg and keep recording
the Pressure Readings on the manometer

• Now, inorder to calculate the Total Drag on the body , fix the Traverse at
X=15D.

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 • Using the Calibrated Pitot tube record the Pressure at 4cm below the plate
on the top of wind tunnel(to reduce boundary layer effects) ,this pressure
corresponds to the Wake Velocity at X=15D.

• Initially at X=15D move the pitot tube by 10mm while we are away from
the cylinder.

• As we move closer to the cylinder move the pitot tube by 2mm and keep
noting the pressure values.

• Repeat the above 3 steps for X=5D,10D

5 Ambient Calculations
• All the readings were taken in a single day .

• the Ambient Pressure and temperature were recorded as :

Atmospheric Pressure =100770 Pa

Atmospheric Temperature = 300 K

• By using the Ideal gas equation we can calculate the density:

P = ρRT

ρ = 1.169976 kg/m3

• The freestream velocity is:

U∞ = 17m/s

• The diameter of cylinder is :

D = 0.0325m

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6 Observations
6.1 Total drag over Cylinder
In the figure, we have plotted the normalized velocity wake profile of the cylinder
for three locations, x/D = 5, 10 and 15 . We have normalized the velocity with
the maximum velocity in wake measurement, (vwake ) and the position, (y) with
the diameter of the cylinder, D
Methodology
• We calculate the average differential pressure using the given, ∆Pmax and
∆Pmin
• Then calculate the velocity at each location using dynamic pressure formulae.
• The resultant normalized velocity profile for the three locations is plotted in
the figure
• We then compute the total drag over the cylinder using the Cd , total formulae
for three locations, x/D = 5, 10, and 15.
• We use the trapezoidal rule for numerical integration

x/D Cd,total
5 0.894026319
10 0.861247913
15 1.048333959
Avg 0.934536

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6.2 Pressure Drag over a Cylinder
The following figure shows the pressure distribution over the cylinder.

Methodology
• We calculate the average differential pressure using the given, ∆Pmax and
∆Pmin
• Then calculate the velocity at each location using dynamic pressure formulae.
• We calculate the coefficient of pressure using the formulae, Cp = 2∆P
2
ρV∞

• We then compute the pressure drag over the cylinder using the Cd,pressure
formulae.
• Trapezoidal rule is used for integration.

6.3 Skin friction drag over a cylinder

The skin friction drag over the cylinder is given by:
Cd,f riction = Cd,total − Cd,pressure

6.4 Location of separation point

Methodology :
• First we plot the Cp distribution over the cylinder
• After separation the Cp curve becomes approximately flat because the pres-
sure is equalised

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 • From the plot we find the angular location at which the pressure becomes
approximately constant.

7 Results
7.1 Total drag over Cylinder
The value of Cd,total is obtained from the table made in 6.1
Cd,total = 0.934536

7.2 Pressure Drag over a cylinder

By applying the trapezoidal rule for numerical integration we obtain,
Cd,pressure = 0.896592536

7.3 Skin friction drag over a cylinder

Cd,f riction =Cd,total - Cd,pressure
Cd,f riction = 0.037943464

7.4 Location of separation point

◦
The point where the separation occurs is = 78 and 275

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8 Error Analysis
8.1 Uncertainity analysis
We know, if Z = A ± B, the maximum uncertainty in calculation of Z will be

∆Z = ∆A + ∆B

Similarly, for Z = Aa Bb the maximum uncertainty is given by

∆Z ∆A ∆B
=a +b
Z A B
Therefore for measurement of velocity U, uncertainty is given by
 
∆V 1 ∆P ∆ρ
= +
V 2 P ρ
Similarly, for measurement of U∞ also, uncertainty given by,
 
∆V∞ 1 ∆P∞ ∆ρ
= +
V∞ 2 P∞ ρ
Uncertainty in the calculation of density is,
∆ρ ∆P∞ ∆T
= +
ρ P∞ T
Uncertainty in the calculation of Cd, total ,
∆Cd, total ∆D ∆y 3 ∆P 9 ∆P∞ 3∆T
=n +Σ +Σ + ΣΣ +Σ
Cd, total D y 2 P 2 P∞ T
Uncertainty in the calculation of Cp ,
∆Cp ∆P ∆ρ
=2 +2
Cp P ρ
For calculation of Cd, pressure,
∆Cd, pressure ∆Cp sin θ∆θ ∆θ
= + +
Cd, pressure Cp cos θ θ
Uncertainty in Cd, friction, , the uncertainty is the sum of the uncertainties of
displacement and momentum thickness.
∆Cd, friction ∆Cd, pressure ∆Cd, total
= +
Cd, friction Cd, pressure Cd, total

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9 Comparision with Literature
• The calculated and published results of pressure distribution are observed to
be fairly consistent. The values exactly don’t match because of the difference
in Re and cylinder diameter in the two cases.

• The separation points for both calculated and published results in the sub-
critical regime are almost the same.

Figure 4: Variation of Cp in literature

Figure 5: Flow separation in literature

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10 Conclusion
In this experiment, we analyzed low-speed flow over a circular cylinder at a wind
speed of 17m/s. They calculated the pressure coefficient (Cp) and plotted it by
rotating the cylinder by 360 degrees in increments of 3 degrees. The experimental
values of Cp were compared with theoretical results to determine the coefficient
of pressure drag. We also profiled the velocity profile in the wake region of the
cylinder at three different locations (5D, 10D, and 15D). The results showed that
the wake velocity at the 5D position was lower than the wake velocity at the
10D position and even lower at the 15D position. The total drag coefficient and
skin friction drag coefficient were calculated for all three positions, and the results
indicated an increase in drag along the wake. The findings were consistent with
the available literature.

• The calculated values of drag coefficients are :

– Cd,total = 0.934536
– Cd,pressure = 0.896592536
– Cd,f riction = 0.037943464

• The point of separation is found to be = 78 and 275◦

• The error analysis section provides information on the error associated with
the readings, due to the least count of the measuring devices.

11 References
• Lecture slides provided by Prof.J.C Mandal

• Study material provided by Prof.J.C Mandal

• Fundamentals of Aerodynamics - J.D Anderson

• A. Fage, V.M. Falkner: An experimental determination of the intensity of

friction on the surface of an airfoil, Proc. R. Soc. 129, 378 (1930)

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