Blockage Correction for Sharp‐Edged Bluff Bodies

On the basis of a simple momentum-balance approach, semiempirical relations are derived for the variation of the steady drag force of two-dimensional, sharp-edged bluff bodies, such as flat plates and equiangular prisms, including blockage effects. A secondary correction factor is introduced to account for the nonuniform velocity distribution in the contracting jet. The range of blockage corrections includes very low blockages (≤ 15%), where the contracted jet velocity and the separating velocity are recognized to be different. Experimental results from various sources are used to verify the model developed. For blockage in excess of 30%, one can evaluate the drag coefficient without recourse to experimental data.