Homework 9 due Friday April 5 before class.

Late homework accepted before class on Monday April 8.

7‐3 Dimensional Analysis and Similarity

7‐4 Buckingham Pi Theorem
11‐1 to 11‐4 and 11‐6 Drag and Lift

ME 320.2 Lecture 32
March 29, 2019
L. Pauley

Figure from textbook, Chapter 11. The wake of a Boeing 767 disrupts the top of a cumulus
cloud and clearly shows the counter-rotating trailing vortices.
 Method of Repeating Variables
• For most problems, there will be more than one
dimensionless group. Need a systematic method to find
groups.
• We will use the Method of Repeating Variables
• Six steps
1. List the parameters in the problem and count their total number n.
2. List the primary dimensions of each of the n parameters. The
number of primary dimensions appearing is j.
3. Calculate k, the expected number of  groups, k = n ‐ j. (This is
called the Buckingham Pi Theorem.)
4. Choose j repeating parameters.
5. Construct the k  groups and manipulate as necessary.
6. Write the final functional relationship and check algebra.

Lecture 32 2
 Drag on a Sphere at Uniform Velocity
• Step 1: List relevant parameters.
FD= f (V,d,,)  n=5
• Step 2: Primary dimensions of
each parameter

FD  mL / t 2  , V   L / t
d   L ,   m / L3 
Sphere at ReD=15,000
m
From “Album of Fluid Motion” van Dyke  ,
L t 

• Step 3: The number of primary dimensions (L, m, and t) is 3.

Number of expected 's is k=n‐j

Lecture 32 3
 Choose Repeating Parameters
Step 4. Choose repeating parameters.
1. The repeating parameters must represent all the primary dimensions.
2. Never pick two parameters with the same dimensions or with dimensions
that differ by only an exponent.

It is sometimes easier to decide what parameters should appear in only one

group.
1. Put the dependent parameter in only one group. Set the exponent to 1.
2. Put viscosity in only one group. Put viscosity in the denominator
(exponent ‐1) to form a Reynolds number.
3. To study the effect of one parameters (or later neglect its effect) put the
parameter in only one dimensionless group. For example, surface tension
should appear in only one group.

Lecture 32 4
 Choose Repeating Parameters
Step 4. Choose j repeating parameters.
Put k parameters in only one group: FD, 
Allow the other j parameters to appear in every group: V, d, 

Step 5. Form groups. The exponent of one parameter can be

set. The other exponents are found to make the group
dimensionless.

1  FD V a d b  c
2   V d 
1 e f g

Lecture 32 5
 Form Pi Groups
Substitute for the dimensions of each parameter

1  FD V a d b  c

 2   1V e d f  g
Find values of the exponents to make the groups dimensionless

Lecture 32 6
 Final Dimensionless Form
Step 6. Write the final dimensionless form.
We started with the dimensional dependence: FD  f V , d ,  , 
Using dimensional analysis, we found that there were two
dimensionless groups. One group is a function of the other.
FD
1  f  2  CD 
1
where V 2 A
CD  f  ReD  2
Vd
ReD 

To find this function, we can run experiments at different ReD.
Do not need to vary V,d,, independently. For many fluids
problems, the “function” is not analytical. But there is only
one CD for every ReD.
Lecture 32 7
 Drag Coefficient of Smooth Cylinder and
Smooth Sphere

Figure 11-34 in text.

Lecture 32 8
 Drag on an Object
Looking back at the dimensional analysis of a sphere, the first
dimensionless group was FD
CD 
1
V 2 d 2
2

FD
But this was generalized as CD 
1
V 2 A
2
What A (area) do we use in the drag coefficient?
It depends on the geometry. When reading CD from a plot, be
sure that you know how the area is defined.
When nondimensionalizing the drag, we want to use a relevant
area.
Lecture 32 9
 Drag on an Object
Drag on an object is due to two effects:
• Wall shear stress drag (friction drag)
• Pressure drag (form drag)
The drag on a flat plate parallel to the flow direction is due to the
wall shear stress created by the boundary layer.
For streamlined objects such as airfoils, drag is produced mainly
by the wall shear stress.
L
Fdrag    wb dx  2sides of plate 
x 0

For streamlined objects, the

planform area is used in CD and CL .

Lecture 32 10
 Drag on an Object
For bluff (or blunt) objects, the pressure drag is much larger than
the friction drag. Pressure drag is produced by a difference in
pressure between the front (upstream) and back (downstream)
surfaces of an object. This pressure difference is significant
when a wake forms behind the object. For bluff objects, the
frontal area is used in CD.

Lecture 32 11