NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE DRAG ON A SPHERE AT LOW AND INTERMEDIATE REYNOLDS NUMBERS

Abstract

Accurate solutions of the steady-state Navier- Stokes equations of motion have been obtained by means of a numerical method to determine the hydrodynamic drag on a rigid sphere falling at its terminal velocity in an unbounded viscous fluid. It is concluded that the numerical study is unique in that it is able to predict theoretically accurate values for the drag on a sphere over a wide Reynolds number interval. The present study also confirms the findings that as the Reynolds number approaches zero the drag on a sphere approaches zero via the Oseen drag rather than via the Stokes drag.