Drag force acting on ellipsoidal particles with different shape characteristics

Non-spherical particles and their interaction with the surrounding fluids are omnipresent in nature and industry. While moving through fluids, particles are subjected to drag forces which is key in understating their dynamic behaviour and is highly dependent on their shape. In this research, to investigate the drag force acting on ellipsoidal particles, numerical simulations and twelve drag models are utilised to predict the particles' drag coefficients. The results are compared in a unified framework using Zingg charts. Most models compare well with the simulation results in both drag coefficient values and trends. The maximum error of these models ranges from 40% to 150%. Some models such as Haider and Levenspiel, Ganser, and Leith are capable in estimating the ellipsoids' drag coefficient with high accuracy while others either overestimate or underestimate the values. Each drag model is suitable for particles in a specific shape category including compact, bladed, elongated, or flat.