Numerical prediction of the drag coefficient of bluff bodies in three-dimensional pipe flow

Abstract Numerical analysis of drag coefficient of three-dimensional bluff bodies such as flat plates, cylinder, triangular prism, semicircular profiles located in the flow path of the pipe was performed. Bluff bodies of various lengths are analysed using a turbulence model. The effect of bluff body thickness on drag coefficient was analysed. A significant observation of the study is the reduction in drag coefficient with an increase in thickness. Effect of pressure coefficient on drag coefficient was evaluated. The study confirms that frictional coefficient has negligible effect on drag coefficient in the studied Reynolds number range. Change in drag coefficient over a wide range of Reynolds number was studied and is reported. Irrespective of geometry and length, the study indicates that there is a significant difference in drag coefficient between two dimensional and three dimensional simulation studies. It is also concluded that the length  of a bluff body in a confined domain  has a significant effect on its drag coefficient.

Keywords:

Drag coefficient , Pressure coefficient , Turbulence model , Computational Fluid Dynamics , Bluff body , Friction coefficient