Discrete Vortex Method Of Flow Around A Cylinder In A Channel Using Simple Grid System

Abstract

Modelling of unidirectional and oscillatory flows around a cylinder in a channel using a simple overlapping grid system are carried out. The importance of this cylinder-wall configuration is the effect of blockage which suppress the development of the vortex shedding The polar grid system of the cylinder is then overlapped with the rectangular grid system of the wall. The length of rectangular grid element is about the same as the length of the polar grid system in the cylinder surface. The use of such overlapping grid system is for reducing the CPU time, i.e. in calculating the vortex velocity since the CPU time in calculating the vortices velocity takes the longest time. This method is not only time efficient, but also gives a better distribution of surface vorticity as the scattered vortices around the body are now concentrated on grid point. In this study there is no vortex-to-vortex interaction, but instead it uses node-to-node interactions. Velocity calculation also uses this overlapping grid in which the new incremental shift position then summed up to get the total new vortices position. In this overlapping system the grid can be either off or on depend on process involved to get rid of the nodes not being used. The engineering applications of this topic is to simulate the loading pipeline placed in the channel such as in the heat exchanger or simulation of U-tube experiment or other system. The in-line and transverse force coefficients are found by integrating the pressure around the cylinder surface. The flow patterns are then can be obtained and presented. The comparison of the results with experimental evidence is presented and also the range of good results is discussed.