AERODYNAMIC DRAG

COEFFICIENTS IN FLUIDS
•In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient
(commonly denoted as: cd, cx or cw) is a
dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify
the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid
environment such as air or water.It is used in
the drag equation, where a lower drag
coefficient indicates the object will have less
aerodynamic or hydrodynamic drag. The drag
coefficient is always associated with a
particular surface area.
 DEFINITION
• The drag coefficient Cd is defined as
Cd=2Fd/ρv2A where:
• Fd is the drag force which is by definition,
the force component in the direction of flow
velocity
• ρ is the mass density of the fluid
• V is the speed of the object relative to the
fluid and
• A is the reference area
 CONTINUED
• The reference area depends on what type of
drag coefficient is being measured. For
automobiles and many other objects, the
reference area is the projected frontal area of
the vehicle.
• For airfoils, the reference area is the planform
area. Since this tends to be a rather large area
compared to the projected frontal area, the
resulting drag coefficients tend to be low: much
lower than for a car with the same drag and
frontal area, and at the same speed.
 CONTINUED
• Airships and some bodies of revolution
use the volumetric drag coefficient, in
which the reference area is the square of
the cube root of the airship volume.
Submerged streamlined bodies use the
wetted surface area.
 CONTINUED
• Two objects having the same reference
area moving at the same speed through a
fluid will experience a drag force
proportional to their respective drag
coefficients. Coefficients for unstreamlined
objects can be 1 or more, for streamlined
objects much less.
 DRAG EQUATION
• The drag equation Fd=ρv2CdA/2 is essentially a
statement that the drag force on any object is
proportional to the density of the fluid and proportional to
the square of the relative speed between the object and
the fluid.
• Cd is not a constant but varies as a function of speed,
flow direction, object position, object size, fluid density
and fluid viscosity. Speed, kinematic viscosity and a
characteristic length scale of the object are incorporated
into a dimensionless quantity called the Reynolds
number or Re. Cd is thus a function of Re . In
compressible flow, the speed of sound is relevant and Cd
is also a function of Mach number Ma .
 Aerodynamics
Drag Coefficient
CD = drag/(area x dynamic pressure)
Dynamic Pressure can be
approximated for speeds under 100
mi/h as:
Dynamic pressure = ρV2/2gc
gc = 32.174 lbm-ft/lbf-s2
Drag
The force in the direction of relative
flow.
Propulsion power to overcome drag:
Ŵ = drag force x relative vehicle
velocity
 Aerodynamics
• Laminar Flow
– Layers of fluid flow slide smoothly over one another
• Turbulent Flow
– Boundary layer is composed of vortices that increase
surface friction.
– Common at rear end of non-streamlined vehicle

Turbulent Laminar
 MEASURED DRAG
COEFFICIENTS OF DIFFERENT
SHAPES
• Sphere: Cd=0.47
• Half sphere: Cd=0.42
• Cone: Cd=0.5
• Cube: Cd=1.05
• Angled cube: Cd=0.8
• Long cylinder: Cd=0.82
• Short cylinder: Cd=1.15
• Stream lined body: Cd=0.04
• Stream lined half body: Cd=0.09