Effect of thermal buoyancy on vortex shedding past a circular cylinder in cross-flow at low Reynolds numbers

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the vortex shedding process behind a heated cylinder in a cross-flow at low Reynolds numbers under the influence of thermal buoyancy. The simulations were performed using an SUPG-based finite element technique. The range of Reynolds numbers was chosen to be 10–45. The flow was steady in the absence of thermal buoyancy. The eddy length and the separation angle were computed for the steady separated flow in the above range of Reynolds numbers. The results were in agreement with those reported in the literature. The Nusselt number distribution around the heated cylinder was also computed in the above range of Reynolds numbers for forced convective flows. The results compared fairly well with available experimental results. The effect of superimposed thermal buoyancy in the same range of Reynolds numbers was studied for various Richardson numbers. The steady separated flows become unsteady periodic in the presence of superimposed thermal buoyancy. For the unsteady periodic flows, the Strouhal numbers were computed. The separation angles and average Nusselt number for such unsteady flows were found to vary with time.