Yangyang Gao

Application of potential theory to steady flow past two cylinders in tandem arrangement

The wake flow patterns associated with flow past a cylinder and a cylinder-pair in tandem configuration are revisited, compared, and evaluated with respect to the streamline patterns generated based on potential flow theory and superposition of various potential flow elements. The wakes, which are vortex shedding in the lee of the cylinder(s), are reproduced by placing pairs of equal but opposite circulation elements in the potential flow field. The strength of the circulation elements determines the size of the vortices produced. The streamline patterns of flow past a pair of unequal cylinders in tandem configuration provide an indirect means to establish the threshold condition for the wake transition from that of a single bluff body to alternating reattachment behavior. This threshold condition is found to be a function of the diameter ratio, (diameters and , ), spacing ratio, (centre-to-centre distance, , to cylinder diameter, ), and equivalent incident flow speed, A unique functional relationship (, , ) of this threshold condition is established.

Bi-stable flow around tandem cylinders of different diameters at low Reynolds number

The flow around two circular cylinders in tandem arrangement with different diameters has been investigated numerically. The upstream to downstream cylinder diameter ratio was kept constant at a value of d/D=2/3 and the centre-to-centre distance was varied from 1.2D to 5D. The Reynolds number based on upstream cylinder diameter and free-stream velocity used in this study is equal to 200. Force coefficients and flow frequencies have been obtained from 2D fluid flow finite-element simulations. Single-wake shedding, reattachment and co-shedding regimes have been observed. The results show that, depending on initial perturbations, reattachment and co-shedding can be observed on a wide range of centre-to-centre distances (L/D[1.8, 3.8]), which defines the bi-stable flow range. The lower part of the bi-stable range is characterized by a lock-in phenomenon for which vortex-shedding from the upstream and downstream cylinders are synchronized when there are co-shedding flow conditions.

Experimental Study on the Flow Around Two Tandem Cylinders with Unequal Diameters

In this paper, flow around two circular cylinders in tandem arrangement with unequal diameters has been investigated using the particle image velocimetry technique (PIV) in a water channel. The upstream to downstream diameter ratio was kept constant at d/D = 2/3, the centre-to-centre distance was varied from 1.2D to 5D and the Reynolds number was varied from 1200 to 4800. The flow characteristics were analyzed through ensemble-averaged patterns of velocity, vorticity, normalized Reynolds stress contours and streamlines. Based on ensemble-averaged and instantaneous flow fields, different flow patterns, including single-wake-shedding at small spacing ratio, bi-stable flow behavior (alternating behavior of reattachment and vortex shedding) at intermediate spacing ratio and co-shedding pattern at large spacing ratio were observed. The effects of Reynolds number and the centre-to-centre spacing ratio on flow patterns and turbulent characteristics were also investigated. It was found that the diameter ratio appears to have a certain effect on the flow patterns at intermediate spacing ratios, where the reattachment of shear layer depends on the lateral width of the wake flow in the lee of the upstream cylinder. Extensive discussion on the distributions of Reynolds stress and turbulent kinetic energy was presented.

Wake flow behaviour behind a smaller cylinder oscillating in the wake of an upstream stationary cylinder

The flow patterns around a cylinder oscillating freely in the wake of a larger cylinder upstream were investigated using the particle image velocimetry technique. The upstream cylinder was fixed at both ends while the downstream smaller cylinder was held by springs such that it was free to oscillate in the transverse direction. The flow patterns, amplitudes of oscillation and vortex shedding frequencies were compared with those of a single cylinder. In the presence of the upstream cylinder, the three parameters characterizing the oscillation response of the smaller cylinder—amplitude of oscillation, vortex shedding frequency and Reynolds stresses—were greatly reduced. While their magnitude increased with gap ratio, these three parameters were still smaller than the corresponding magnitudes for a single oscillating cylinder. The peak values of turbulence statistics such as Reynolds shear stress and normal stress behind the oscillating downstream cylinder were similarly reduced, and increased with gap ratios.

Numerical study of two side-by-side cylinders with unequal diameters at low Reynolds number

Two-dimensional laminar flow about two side-by-side unequal cylinders with different diameter ratios d/D and centre-to-centre spacing ratios T/D at Re=300 (based on the larger cylinder diameter) was simulated using a CFD software. Comparisons of experimental and numerical results were made to elucidate the degree of interference due to d/D and T/D and their effects on the flow patterns and vortex shedding frequencies. The findings showed that the flow patterns behind two unequal cylinders were distinctly different from that behind two equal side-by-side cylinders, with distinct in-phase and anti-phase vortex shedding, and random switching of modes of vortex shedding.

Numerical Study on Flow around Four Square-Arranged Cylinders at Low Reynolds Numbers

In this paper, numerical simulations of flow past four square-arranged cylinders are carried out at different spacing ratios ( ; is the center to center distance; is the cylinder diameter) and Reynolds numbers . The effects of spacing ratio and Reynolds number on the wake flow characteristics are investigated, such as the instantaneous vorticity contours, force coefficients, and vortex shedding frequencies. The results show that the flow characteristics behind the four-cylinder cases are significantly affected by the spacing ratios and Reynolds numbers. At the same spacing ratio, the transformation of flow pattern is advanced quickly with increasing of Reynolds numbers, the values of force coefficients are correspondingly fluctuated with large amplitude, and the vortex shedding frequency is increased significantly with .

Experimental Study on the Flow Around a Moving Cylinder

An experimental investigation of flow behavior behind a moving circular cylinder was carried out in an open channel. The cylinder was mounted on a platform and extended to submerge in the water. The platform was rested on two ball-bearing-filled tracks which were designed to reduce the friction between the platform and the tracks. The cylinder was maintained perpendicular to the platform. The platform was free to move in a horizontal plane. The flow fields behind the suspended cylinder were captured using the technique of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and the trajectory of the cylinder was captured using a camera operated in video mode (60 frames per second). Instantaneous flow patterns and orbital responses of the moving cylinder were analyzed and the findings were presented herein.Copyright

Numerical Study of an Oscillating Smaller Cylinder in the Wake of an Upstream Larger Cylinder

A numerical study of flow around two tandem cylinders with unequal diameters was carried out. The upstream larger cylinder was fixed and the downstream smaller cylinder was allowed to oscillate in the transverse direction only. Comparisons of the experimental and numerical results were made to investigate the effects of the gap ratio on the maximum vibration amplitude and vortex shedding frequency. The results showed that the vibration response of the smaller cylinder was significantly affected by the presence of the upstream larger cylinder, and resulted in greatly reduced vibration amplitudes. With an increasing gap ratio, the vibration amplitude increased. However, the magnitude was lower than that corresponding to a single cylinder (with the same diameter as that of the downstream smaller cylinder) under the same flow conditions.

Experimental Study on the Near Wake Behind Two Staggered Cylinders of Unequal Diameters

The wake structure behind two staggered circular cylinders with unequal diameters was investigated experimentally using the particle image velocimetry technique (PIV). This investigation was focused on the variations of flow patterns in terms of incident angle at Reynolds number Re = 1200. Comparisons of the time-averaged flow field of two staggered cylinders with unequal diameters at different angles were made to elucidate the mean flow characteristics. The characteristics of Reynolds shear stress contours at different incident angles and spacing ratios were also investigated. The results showed that with increasing of incident angle, the scale of Reynolds stress contours behind the upstream cylinder becomes larger, as well as the effect of spacing ratio on Reynolds stress contours.Copyright

Flow Behavior Behind Two Side-by-Side Circular Cylinders With Unequal Diameters

In this study, flow behavior behind two side-by-side circular cylinders with unequal diameters, was investigated by using the technique of particle-image-velocimetry (PIV). The experiments were conducted in a re-circulating open water channel within the subcritical Reynolds number regime and a center-to-center pitch ratio T/D range of 1.2 to 3.6. Instantaneous and average velocity patterns, vorticity and Reynolds stress contours acquired with the PIV were used to analyze the flow behavior behind the two cylinders. The effects of the gap ratio and Re on vortex shedding were studied. The results showed that three flow patterns including the asymmetric biased flow, symmetric biased flow and two wake modes with different scales for different gap ratios respectively were observed.© 2010 ASME