Stokes Law and the Idea of Terminal velocity

For Laminar flow, there are three forces that can be calculated to act
On a solid sphere moving vertically through a fluid.

Form Drag Friction Drag

4
⋅ π ⋅ R ⋅ ( ∆ ρ) ⋅ g
3
Gravity
3
Or Buoyancy

Form Drag 2⋅ π ⋅ η ⋅ R ⋅ v t

4⋅ π ⋅ η ⋅ R⋅ v t
Friction Drag Gravity
 Falling sphere with velocity Vt

Form Drag Friction Drag

4
3
⋅ π ⋅ R ⋅ ( ∆ ρ) ⋅ g
3
( 4⋅ π ⋅ η ⋅ R⋅ v t) + 2⋅ π ⋅η ⋅ R⋅ v t
ρ solid > ρ fluid

2 2 g
Gravity vt ⋅ R ⋅ ∆ ρ⋅
9 η

Motionless Sphere in Moving Fluid

What Happens if Vfluid>Vt? Fluid velocity=Vt

Gravity
 Stokes Law for Turbulent and Laminar Flow

d⋅ V FluidRelativeToSphere
⋅ρ
Re sphere
η

Laminar  Turbulent when Re>0.1 to 1

24
f1 ( Rethat
As the pressure exceeds sphere) := Re for when
required minimum fluidization,
Resphere <1 a second empirical equati
necessary to describe the relationship sphere Ga and Resphere and pore fraction,ω, given as
between
18.5
4.7 ( )
f2 Resphere :=
3
when 1 < Resphere < 500
1.687
ω ⋅ Ga 18⋅ Resphere + 2.7⋅ Resphere
5
Resphere
As the increasing fluid velocities are considered,
the fluid velocity eventually reaches the te
velocity of the particles and blows the particles out of the bed.5 This process is referred to a
f3 ( Resphere
'elutriation', where the terminal ) := 0.44is when
velocity 500 < Resphere
described by the< 2familiar
⋅ 10 equation

vt
(
 4⋅ d⋅ ρ s − ρ ⋅ g 

) 
2


3⋅f⋅ ρ 
where f is the friction factor.The friction factor will have three ranges of dependence on the