Numerical simulation of unsteady flow field behind bluff body

Abstract

The transient incompressible flow behind the axisymmetric bluff body is numerically simulated using the random vortex method(RVM). Based on the vorticity formulation of the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations, the Lagrangian approach with a stochastic simulation of diffusion using random walk technique is employed to account for the transport processes of the vortex elements. The numerical solutions for 2-dimensional recirculating flow behind a backward-facing step in the laminar range of Reynolds number are compared with experimental data. The present simulation focuses on the transitional flow regime where the recirculation zone behind the bluff body becomes highly unsteady and large-scale vortex eddies are shed from the bluff body wake due to intrinsic shear layer instabilities. The unsteady vertical flow structures and the mixing characteristics behind the bluff body are discussed in detail.