Experimental Investigation of 3D Dynamical Effects in a Wake behind Circular Cylinder

Abstract

A circular cylinder in crossflow is subjected to the study of 3D dynamical structure of its wake. The typical dynamics is characterized by quasi-periodic behaviour called Kármán – Bénard vortex street with the typical frequency in dimensionless form known as Strouhal number. The experimental study relies on stereo Particle Image Velocimetry method, the plane of measurement is perpendicular to the flow in the distance 3.8 cylinder diameters in streamwise direction. Reynolds number was around 5 thousand. The structure and dynamical behaviour of the wake along the cylinder axis is studied in details. On the top of the known streamwise velocity deficit definition of the wake, the streamwise oriented dynamically evolving vortices are detected. For the detailed dynamics examination, the Oscillation Pattern Decomposition method was used. Waves of various structures travelling along the cylinder axis as well as some pulsations were identified. The wake dynamics is characterised by the streamwise velocity component deficit and the streamwise vorticity concentration. Both structures are moving periodically in transversal direction with the same frequency, the velocity deficit is shifted by a quarter of period behind the vorticity concentration in the shedding process.