Spatial Variability, Mean Drag Forces, and Drag Coefficients in an Array of Rigid Cylinders

Abstract

Drag forces exerted by single cylinders in an in-line and staggered multicylinder array were measured in a laboratory flume. The measurements were used to investigate the spatial variability of the drag forces, spatially averaged drag forces, and drag coefficients. The results showed that both individual drag forces and drag coefficients varied between ±30% from the spatially averaged mean. The data are also used to test a computational approach for the determination of the mean drag coefficient of multicylinder arrays taking into account the wake flow structure.