Lift and drag forces on a sphere attached to a wall in a Blasius boundary layer

Lift and drag forces on a sphere attached to a planar wall, over which a laminar flat plat boundary layer flows, are examined numerically in this study. Particle Reynolds number ranged from 0.1-250, which represents steady, laminar flow about the sphere, and the plate Reynolds number was held constant at 32400. A finite-volume computational fluid dynamics program was utilised. Simulation results were validated against analytical results for drag and lift in creeping flow and against experimental results available in the literature for lift at higher particle Reynolds number. The model results were curve-fitted and interpolating drag and lift coefficient functions are reported. The lift and drag results are shown to be weakly dependent upon plate Reynolds number. The resulting correlations are expected to be useful in the development of particle impending motion and aerosol entrainment predictions of particles adhering to planar walls. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.