Experimental Investigation of Flow Past a Square Cylinder at an Angle of Incidence
- 1 September 2008
- journal article
- Published by American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in Journal of Engineering Mechanics
- Vol. 134 (9), 788-803
- https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)0733-9399(2008)134:9(788)
Abstract
Flow past a square cylinder placed at an angle to the incoming flow is experimentally investigated using particle image velocimetry, hot wire anemometry, and flow visualization. The Reynolds number based on cylinder size and the average incoming velocity is set equal to 410. Data for four cylinder orientations ( , 22.5, 30, and 45°) and two aspect ratios [ and 28] are reported. Results are presented in terms of drag coefficient, Strouhal number, time averaged velocity, stream traces, turbulence intensity, power spectra, and vorticity field. In addition, flow visualization images in the near wake of the cylinder are discussed. The shape and size of the recirculation bubble downstream of the cylinder are strong functions of orientation. A minimum in drag coefficient and maximum in Strouhal number is observed at a cylinder orientation of 22.5°. The -velocity profile and time-average stream traces show that the wake and the separation process are asymmetric at orientations of 22.5 and 30°. The corresponding power spectra show additional peaks related to secondary vortical structures that arise from nonlinear interaction between the Karman vortices. The flow visualization images show the streamwise separation distance between the alternating vortices to be a function of cylinder orientation. Further, the flow approaches three dimensionality early, i.e., closer to the cylinder surface for the 22.5° orientation. The drag coefficient decreases with an increase in aspect ratio, while the Strouhal number is seen to increase with aspect ratio. The turbulence intensity is higher for the large aspect ratio cylinder and the maximum turbulence intensity appears at an earlier streamwise location. The overall dependence of drag coefficient and Strouhal number on orientation is preserved for the two aspect ratios studied.
Keywords
This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Three-dimensional study of flow past a square cylinder at low Reynolds numbersInternational Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 2003
- Advances in our understanding of vortex dynamics in bluff body wakesJournal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 1997
- Vortex Dynamics in the Cylinder WakeAnnual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 1996
- Numerical modelling of confined flow past a cylinder of square cross‐section at various orientationsInternational Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 1995
- Quantitative measurements of three-dim ensional structures in the wake of a circular cylinderJournal of Fluid Mechanics, 1994
- An experimental investigation of the flow around a circular cylinder: influence of aspect ratioJournal of Fluid Mechanics, 1994
- Aspect ratio and end plate effects on vortex shedding from a circular cylinderJournal of Fluid Mechanics, 1992
- A study of the effect of aspect ratio on vortex shedding behind circular cylindersPhysics of Fluids A: Fluid Dynamics, 1991
- Optimization of particle image velocimeters. I. Double pulsed systemsMeasurement Science and Technology, 1990
- Strouhal numbers of rectangular cylindersJournal of Fluid Mechanics, 1982