Abstract
The lift force experienced by a spinning sphere moving in a viscous fluid, with constant linear and angular velocities, is measured by means of a trajectographic technique. Measurements are performed in the range of dimensionless angular velocities γ=aω/V lying between 1 and 6, and in the range of Reynolds numbers Re=2aV/ν lying between 10 and 140 (a sphere radius, ω angular velocity, V relative velocity of the sphere centre, ν fluid kinematic viscosity). A notable departure from the theoretical relationship at low Reynolds number, C L =2γ, is obtained, the ratio C L /γ being found to significantly decrease with increasing γ and increasing Re. The following correlation is finally proposed to estimate the lift coefficient in the range 10<Re<140:
C L ≅0.45+(2γ−0.45) exp (−0.075γ0.4 Re 0.7)
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Received: 20 May 1996/Accepted: 9 November 1997
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Oesterlé, B., Dinh, T. Experiments on the lift of a spinning sphere in a range of intermediate Reynolds numbers. Experiments in Fluids 25, 16–22 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003480050203
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003480050203