Simple and General Formula for the Settling Velocity of Particles
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 133, Issue 2
Abstract
A simple, robust, and general formula for the settling velocity of a particle is presented, taking into account the shape and roundness of the particles. It is based on the two asymptotic behaviors of the drag coefficient for low and high Reynolds numbers, respectively. The three coefficients in the proposed equation were fitted for different shape and roundness using explicit relationships. The proposed relationship yields the best results among the studied formulas for many kind of particles with various sizes, shapes, roundnesses, and densities. This formula could therefore be applied to any particle.
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Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science. The comments from J. Jimenez were greatly appreciated.
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© 2007 ASCE.
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Received: Jun 1, 2005
Accepted: May 16, 2006
Published online: Feb 1, 2007
Published in print: Feb 2007
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