Experiments on the flow past a circular cylinder at very high Reynolds number

Abstract

Measurements on a large circular cylinder in a pressurized wind tunnel at Reynolds numbers from 10⁶ to 10⁷ reveal a high Reynolds number transition in which the drag coefficient increases from its low supercritical value to a value 0.7 at R = 3.5 × 10⁶ and then becomes constant. Also, for R > 3.5 × 10⁶, definite vortex shedding occurs, with Strouhal number 0.27.