UNSTEADY FLOW AROUND A CIRCULAR CYLINDER: A NUMERICAL SIMULATION

Abstract

FloW past bluff bodies is particular matter of concern because of their vast applications in chemical industries and aerodynamics for both steady and unsteady state flows. Typical example for a bluff body that immediately comes to mind is the circular cylinder that has become so popular that number of research papers are devoted to it are far more exceeding than those for all other bluff bodies are featured. Ready availability as piping or tubing, structural convenience and practical importance in engineering has made it a favorable one in laboratory studies. But the primitive reason for its appeal is the simplicity and beauty of the solution. Flow past the circular cylinders in the field of chemical engineering has a wide range of applications such as in heat exchangers. Flow around cylindrical structures is of relevance for many practical applications e.g. offshore risers, bridge piers, periscopes, chimneys, towers, masts, cables, antennae and wires. The aspects of unsteady flows include hydrodynamic propulsion (propeller-hull interaction), flapping wing propulsion in aerodynamics. Recent applications such as the detection of unobserved objects through signature analysis and the migration and dispersion of pollution have intensified the need to understand wake dynamics. The propensity of bluff bodies to vibrate in fluid flow is one of the reasons why this research is important to engineering applications