Title

Correlating Flow Pattern with Force Coefficients in Air Flow past a Tandem Unit of Three Circular Cylindersy

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2013

Publication Title

International Journal of Fluid Mechanics Research

Volume

40

Issue

3

First Page

235

Last Page

253

Abstract

Air Flow past three circular cylinders in tandem arrangement is simulated at 20 different Reynolds numbers ranging from 20 to 300. The spacing ratio L=D is set at 2, where L is center to center distance. The drag of all three cylinders is assessed with varying Reynolds number. Accordingly, pressure and velocity distribution in the near vicinity of cylinders is closely examined. It is found that Reynolds numbers of 42, 63 and 150 are critical Reynolds numbers for pressure, viscous and total drag forces respectively. Moreover, time evolutions of force coefficients are investigated to find the transitional Reynolds number at which the flow becomes unsteady and vortices are shed from the cylinders. It was observed that transition starts at Re = 101 and vortex shedding occurs at Re = 105 for the first time. Flow pattern is illustrated at a specific moment for all steady, transitional and unsteady states at various Reynolds numbers. Also, the time evolution of flow pattern is depicted for unsteady cases. It was observed that frequency of vortex shedding and also Strouhal number increase with Re. © 2013 Begell House, Inc.

DOI

10.1615/InterJFluidMechRes.v40.i3.40

ISSN

21525102

E-ISSN

21525110

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