Drag force in wind tunnels: a new method

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel, physics-based method for calculating drag force on objects in wind tunnels, applicable to any shape and solver for Navier-Stokes equations, demonstrated on a cylinder.

Contribution

A new general method for determining drag force using Navier-Stokes solvers, applicable to objects of arbitrary shape in wind tunnel experiments.

Findings

Method successfully applied to a long cylinder.

Provides a general approach adaptable to various shapes.

Relies on existing Navier-Stokes solvers for velocity field computation.

Abstract

A rigid object of general shape is fixed inside a wind tunnel. The drag force exerted on it by the wind is determined by a new method based on simple basic Physics concepts, provided one has a solver, any solver, for the corresponding dynamic Navier-Stokes equation which determines the wind velocity field around the object. The method is completely general, but here we apply it to the traditional problem of a long cylinder perpendicular to the wind.