Aspect ratio effect on flow-induced forces on circular cylinders in a cross-flow

Abstract

Finite-span circular cylinders with two different aspect ratios, placed in a cross-flow, are investigated experimentally at a cylinder Reynolds number of 46,000. Simultaneous measurements of the flow-induced unsteady forces on the cylinders and the stream velocity in the wake are carried out. These results together with mean drag measurements along the span and available literature data are used to evaluate the flow mechanisms responsible for the induced unsteady forces and the effect of aspect ratio on these forces. The coherence of vortex shedding along the span of the cylinder is partially destroyed by the separated flow emanating from the top and by the recirculating flow behind the cylinder. As a result, the fluctuating lift decreases drastically. Based on the data collected, it is conjectured that the fluctuating recirculating flow behind the cylinder is the flow mechanism responsible for the unsteady drag and causes it to increase beyond the fluctuating lift. The fluctuating recirculating flow is a direct consequence of the unsteady separated flow. The unsteady forces vary along the span, with lift increasing and drag decreasing towards the cylinder base. When the cylinder span is large compared to the wall boundary layer thickness, a submerged two-dimensional region exists near the base. As the span decreases, the submerged two-dimensional region becomes smaller and eventually vanishes. Altogether, these results show that fluctuating drag is the dominant unsteady force in finite-span cylinders placed in a cross-flow. Its characteristic frequency is larger than that of the vortex shedding frequency.