1.

1 Aim
1.To measure the distribution of coefficient of pressure and compare with theoretical
results.
2. To study the effect of Reynolds number on the distribution.

1.2 Apparatus
1. Wind Tunnel.
2. Circular cylinder.
3. Scanivalve 32 port pressure scanner.

1.3 Theory
1. By definition of Coefficient of pressure,

= , ()



2. From Bernoullis Equation,

= , ()

And from Eq. (1) and Eq. (2)

()
.

Potential flow theory

A cylinder is one of the most basic aerodynamic geometric shape and the non lifting flow over it
can be realized by combining a uniform flow and a doublet.

Fig. 1 Flow realization over a circular cylinder.

The stream function for the combined flow is

= ( )( ), (4)

The velocity field is obtained by differentiating Equation 4.

= = ,(5)

= - = + ,(6)

The velocity distribution on the surface of the cylinder is given by Equations (5) and (6) with r =
R, resulting in
=
=
Thus at the surface of the cylinder

=


=

=

Here
- free stream velocity of the fluid
0 - total pressure from settling chamber
- free-stream pressure from inlet section
- Pressure at a point on the circular cylinder surface
- Density of fluid
- Angle between oncoming flow direction and measured port.

1.4 Procedure
1. The 20 ports of the scanivalve are connected to the respective ports on the cylinder, and one
port is connected to the settling chamber to measure the difference between the total pressure
and free stream pressure.

2. The wind tunnel is turned on and when the desired velocity is reached, the readings for the
differential pressure are recorded.
Observations
= 1.225 /3
0 = 127.9953
() = 38 mm
= 14.4559 /

Table for the readings of differential pressure for free stream velocity = .

. () ()
1 0 128.4018 1.003175898 1
2 18 116.925 0.913510105 0.618033989
3 36 38.51489 0.300908627 -0.381966011
4 54 -89.8742 -0.702167736 -1.618033989
5 72 -161.26 -1.259888449 -2.618033989
6 90 -144.706 -1.130553231 -3
7 108 -141.016 -1.101729517 -2.618033989
8 126 -149.784 -1.170232813 -1.618033989
9 144 -140.919 -1.100972458 -0.381966011
10 162 -155.751 -1.216846244 0.618033989
11 180 -167.303 -1.30710112 1
12 198 -146.284 -1.142886497 0.618033989
13 216 -142.555 -1.113754177 -0.381966011
14 234 -138.843 -1.084752331 -1.618033989
15 252 -141.508 -1.10556872 -2.618033989
16 270 -138.665 -1.083356967 -3
17 288 -121.106 -0.946177711 -2.618033989
18 306 -146.203 -1.142256005 -1.618033989
19 324 -44.4475 -0.347258454 -0.381966011
20 342 79.52981 0.621349456 0.618033989
21 360 128.4018 1.003175898 1

Calculations
1. (experimental) is calculated using the following formula.


.

2. (Theoretical) is calculated using the following formula.

=

3. is calculated using the formula.


=

The integral is calculated using the trapezoidal rule of numerical integration.

where

() = (( ) + ( ) + ( ) + . + ( ) + ( ))

where = step length.

Plots

Results and Conclusions

The Table for the values of for different Reynolds number

Flow velocity (m/s)

14.4559 3.7741 -1.2582 -0.0630
19.3632 5.0553 -1.1626 -0.0843
24.6129 6.4259 -1.0602 -0.0835
28.9184 7.5499 -1.1212 -0.0773
33.1505 8.6548 -1.1618 -0.1085

1. We see that the experimental results deviate largely from the theoretical results, for the rear
part of the cylinder the values of Cp are not same as the theoretical values.

2. At the rear part of the cylinder the pressure is unable to recover to the higher values that
exist at the front of the face. At rear part flow separation occurs, the pressures are relatively
constant in the separated region over the rearward face and have values slightly less than
freestream pressure. There is a net imbalance of the pressure distribution between the front
and back faces, with the pressures on the front being higher than on the back, and this
imbalance produces the drag on the cylinder.
3. The lift coefficients are very small, resulting in negligible lift.

4. From the plot of we see that the value of drag coefficient for the Reynolds number
of the order of 104 remains constant near to unity.

Discussion
The apparatus consists of a wind tunnel which has following parts
1. Honeycomb - This is a structure having honeycomb geometry placed at the front of the wind
tunnel where air enters, it reduces turbulence in the flow.
2. Settling Chamber- This is the place where the air settles down and here we can measure the
total pressure, It contains very low velocity air.
3. Diffuser- It is a converging passage where the velocity of air increases.

The Assumptions in deriving the Bernoulli equation and the theoretical value of the Coefficient
of pressure are as follows:
1. Flow is incompressible
2. Flow is steady.
3.Flow is inviscid.
4.Body forces are negligible.

Variation of flow over the cylinder when < < 1

We know from dimensional analysis that the coefficient of lift and drag are the functions of
Reynolds number, Thus varies as Reynolds number changes.

1. 0 < < 4
For this range of values the viscous forces are dominant and flow is characterized by a near
balance of pressure forces with friction forces. The flow velocity is so small that the inertia
effects are very small. The flow is attached to the cylinder and symmetrical.

2. 4 < < 40
The flow becomes separated on the back of the cylinder, forming two distinct, stable vortices

3. As is increased above 40, the flow behind the cylinder becomes unstable; the vortices
which were in a fixed position now are alternately shed from the body in a regular fashion and
flow downstream. The alternately shed vortex is called a Karman vortex street.

4. As the Reynolds number is increased to large numbers, the Karman vortex street becomes
turbulent and begins to transform into a distinct wake. The laminar boundary layer on the
cylinder separates from the surface on the forward face, at a point about 80 from the
stagnation point. The value of the Reynolds number for this flow is on the order of 105 .
is a relatively constant value near unity for 103 < < 3105 .

For a rotating cylinder the air above it gets pulled due to rotation of the cylinder and thus the
velocity of air increases. Below the cylinder the velocity of the flow is reduced because due to
cylinder rotation the air is pushed back and thus velocity decreases. Due to difference in
velocities above and below the cylinder the pressure is more at bottom of cylinder at low at the
top and there acts net force on the rotating cylinder and thus Lift is generated.

References :
1. Anderson, J.D., Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill, Singapore, 2005.