Influence of drag coefficient equations on particle motion calculations
An important phase of laser velocimetry investigations in gas flow fields is an analysis of the particle motion in the gas. The present paper examines three important aspects of particle motion calculations. A comparison of various drag coefficient equations with available experimental sphere drag data is made to determine the relative accuracy of the various empirical expressions available. Then, the most accurate drag coefficient equation is used to determine the limitations of Stokes drag equation for calculating relaxation lengths behind normal shocks, and percent velocity lags in one-dimensional constant velocity gradient regions. Finally, a two-dimensional constant velocity gradient gas flow field is examined to determine the importance of the coupling between the governing equations for the components of particle velocity.