| Abstract: | Steady, axisymmetric, isothermal, incompressible flow past a sphere with uniform blowing out of the surface is investigated for Reynolds numbers in the range 1 to 100 and surface velocities up to 10 times the free stream value. A stream-function-velocity formulation of the flow equations in spherical polar co-ordinates is used and the equations are solved by a Galerkin finite-element method. Reductions in the drag coefficients arising from blowing are computed and the effects on the viscous and pressure contributions to the drag considered. Changes in the surface pressure, surface vorticity and flow patterns for two values of the Reynolds number (1 and 40) are examined in greater detail. Particular attention is paid to the perturbation to the flow field far from the sphere. |
