Fluid flow and heat transfer around a confined semi-circular cylinder: Onset of vortex shedding and effects of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers

Abstract

Flow and heat transfer characteristics around a semi-circular cylinder placed in a confined channel are investigated in the unsteady regime. The two-dimensional simulations are carried out for varying values of control parameters: Reynolds number (Re)=50–200 and Prandtl number (Pr)=0.7, 10 and 100 at a fixed blockage ratio of 25% for Newtonian constant-property fluid. Continuity, Navier–Stokes and energy equations with appropriate boundary conditions are solved using the commercial computational fluid dynamics solver Ansys Fluent. The transition from steady to time-periodic flow occurs between Re=69 and 70. The effect of Prandtl number on Nusselt number is pronounced; the ratio of Nusselt number values belonging to Pr=100 and those belonging to Pr=0.7 ranges from 6.3 to 6.5 over the Reynolds number domain investigated. Finally, the present numerical results are used to develop drag coefficient, Strouhal number and Nusselt number correlations.