Pressure Distribution

on a Circular Cylinder

GROUP NO. 4
ME13B016 – Sreeram
ME13B017 – Abhishek
ME13B018 – Chandramouli
ME13B019 – Chinmay
ME12B084 – DevaraJyothiraditya
MA14C021 – Jashwant
 Pressure Distribution on a Circular Cylinder
Aim:
To determine the pressure distribution on a circular cylinder and calculate the pressure coefficient.

Theory:
An irrotational incompressible flow past a circular cylinder without circulation can be generated by
adding a uniform flow, in the positive x direction to a doublet at the origin directed in the negative x
direction. Of particular interest here is the pressure coefficient distribution predicted by the theory,
given by the expression Cp=1-4sin2θ, where θ is angle measured from the back of the cylinder. This
inviscid pressure distribution is unrealistic in a number of ways, not least that it implies a zero drag.
However, in this experiment you will have an opportunity to make our own comparison, and judgment
of this theory.

The flow past a two-dimensional cylinder is one of the most studied of aerodynamics. It is relevant to
many engineering applications. The flow pattern and the drag on a cylinder are functions of the
Reynolds number equals U∞D/n, based on the cylinder diameter D and the undisturbed free-stream
velocity U∞. The Reynolds number represents the ratio of inertial to viscous forces in the flow. The
drag is usually expressed as a coefficient C d = d/ (½ρU∞2D), where d is the drag force per unit span.

The flow pattern at high Reynolds numbers (Re > 10000) is shown below. At the leading edge of the
cylinder a stagnation point is formed where the oncoming flow is brought to rest. The pressure here
is equal to the stagnation pressure. The pressure coefficient Cp = (p - p∞)/ (½ρU∞2) is therefore
equal to 1 by Bernoulli's equation. To either side of the stagnation point the flow accelerates around
the forward surface of the cylinder producing a drop in the pressure. Immediately adjacent to the
cylinder surface a thin boundary layer is formed. The boundary layer is a region where the velocity
drops rapidly to zero to satisfy the no slip condition at the cylinder surface. The direct effects of
viscosity are felt only within the boundary layer.
If Reynolds Number is less than about 400,000 the boundary layer remains laminar from the
stagnation point at the front of the cylinder to the point where it separates. The resulting flow pattern
is termed sub-critical and is associated with a high drag on the cylinder. The laminar boundary layer
separates just upstream of the maximum thickness. Separation occurs because the boundary layer
anticipates the deceleration of the flow (and therefore positive pressure gradient) that would otherwise
occur on the rearward face of the cylinder. Downstream of separation the flow quickly becomes
turbulent and a broad wake is formed. The wake as a whole is unstable and rolls up into vortices that
are shed antisymmetrically at regular intervals from the cylinder. This type of wake is called a von
Kármán vortex.

At Reynolds numbers greater than about 400,000 the boundary layer on the forward face of the
cylinder undergoes transition and becomes turbulent. The resulting flow pattern termed super-critical,
is associated with a much lower drag, Cd being about 0.3. The precipitous drop in Cd that occurs as a
result of transition is usually referred to as the drag crisis. The turbulent boundary layer generated in
super-critical flow is much less susceptible to adverse pressure gradients. It remains attached to the
cylinder surface well past its maximum thickness. As a result the wake is much narrower, the imbalance
of pressure forces on the cylinder surface is much smaller and the pressure drag is greatly reduced.
This reduction swamps a small increase in skin-friction drag produced by the greater length of the
boundary layer and its transition. Roughness of the cylinder surface or unsteadiness in the free stream
(such as is present in the open jet wind tunnel) can cause boundary layer transition at much lower
Reynolds number.
Measured coefficient of pressure comes out to be very different from the experimental values as is
visible from the graph shown below.

Reasons for deviation from the theoretical values are listed below.

1. Firstly, the formula has been derived assuming that the flow is inviscid and incompressible and this
is not the case when we are actually taking readings from the apparatus. This is a major source of
error.

2. Secondly skin friction drag which exists between the surface of the cylinder and the fluid flow also
causes variation from the ideal values.

3. When we actually perform the experiment there is variation in the flow and it is not steady which
again contradicts the assumption under which the formula for the coefficient of pressure has been
derived.

D’Alembert’s Paradox
In fluid dynamics, d'Alembert's paradox (or the hydrodynamic paradox) is a contradiction reached in
1752 by French mathematician d'Alembert who proved that, for incompressible and inviscid potential
flow the drag force is zero on a body moving with constant velocity relative to the fluid. Zero drag is
in direct contradiction to the observation of substantial drag on bodies moving relative to fluids, such
as air and water, especially at high velocities corresponding with high Reynolds numbers. It is a
particular example of the reversibility paradox.
Formulae:

Apparatus:

Apparatus:

Prandtl Manometer
Circular Cylinder

Wind Tunnel
Experimental Procedure:

Experiment is carried out on a suction type of wind tunnel with 0.6 m x 0.6 m test section. A circular
cylinder of 25mm diameter is placed in the test section of the wind tunnel. A total pressure probe is
attached on the surface of the cylinder and connected to Prandtl manometer. A pressure tab is attached
to the wall of the wind tunnel before the test section and connected to Betz manometer and this gives
static pressure reading. A description of experimental setup is shown in Figure 1.The wind tunnel is
switched on and the experiment is started after the flows attains steady state (steady periodic state in
the wake region). Initially the cylinder is kept at zero degree angle and the pressure readings from both
the manometers are taken. The cylinder is rotated in steps of 5 degrees up to 70 degrees, in steps of 1
degrees from 70 degrees to 80 degrees (to be able to capture the separation point accurately) and
further rotated in steps of 5 degrees from 80 degrees to 180 degrees. Pressure readings from both the
manometers are taken at each station. Since, the flow is assumed to be symmetrical about the axis of
the cylinder parallel to the flow direction experimental readings between 180 degrees and 360 degrees
are not taken.
Observations:
θ ( in PPrandtl (hp in mm PBetz (hb in mm Cp Cp
degrees) of water) of water) (experimental) (theoretical)
0 28.6 13.27 1 1
5 28.6 13.88 0.96 0.97
10 28.6 14.8 0.9 0.88
15 28.6 16.33 0.8 0.73
20 28.6 18.63 0.65 0.53
25 28.6 21.74 0.45 0.29
30 28.6 25.1 0.23 0
35 28.6 28.57 0.004 -0.31
40 28.6 32.65 -0.26 -0.65
45 28.6 36.12 -0.49 -1
50 28.6 40 -0.74 -1.34
55 28.6 43.47 -0.97 -1.68
60 28.6 45.82 -1.12 -2
65 28.6 47.55 -1.23 -2.29
70 28.6 48.89 -1.32 -2.53
71 28.6 49.08 -1.33 -2.58
72 28.6 49.29 -1.34 -2.62
73 28.6 49.49 -1.36 -2.66
74 28.6 49.29 -1.34 -2.7
75 28.6 49.08 -1.33 -2.73
76 28.6 48.89 -1.32 -2.77
77 28.6 48.78 -1.31 -2.8
78 28.6 48.47 -1.29 -2.83
79 28.6 48.06 -1.26 -2.85
80 28.6 47.86 -1.25 -2.88
85 28.6 46.94 -1.19 -2.97
90 28.6 46.33 -1.15 -3
95 28.6 46.12 -1.14 -2.97
100 28.6 46.33 -1.15 -2.88
105 28.6 46.33 -1.15 -2.73
110 28.6 46.22 -1.15 -2.53
115 28.6 46.12 -1.15 -2.29
120 28.6 46.33 -1.15 -2
125 28.6 46.94 -1.19 -1.68
130 28.6 46.94 -1.19 -1.34
135 28.6 46.94 -1.19 -1
140 28.6 47.14 -1.21 -0.65
145 28.6 47.35 -1.22 -0.32
150 28.6 47.75 -1.25 0
155 28.6 48.06 -1.27 0.29
160 28.6 48.27 -1.28 0.53
165 28.6 48.47 -1.29 0.73
170 28.6 48.57 -1.3 0.88
175 28.6 48.16 -1.27 0.97
180 28.6 48.27 -1.28 1
Graphs:

CP VS θ ( in degrees)
1.5

0.5

0
-20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

-0.5
CP

-1

-1.5

-2

-2.5

-3

-3.5
θ ( in degrees)

Experimental Theoritical