Numerical study of unsteady flow past compound cylinders

Abstract

The flow over compound cylinders is simulated using computational fluid dynamic (CFD). Three contacting cylinders of different diameters, arranged in tandem with respect to the oncoming flow were examined at Reynolds number ReD = 333 based on the diameter of the middle cylinder, D. The proposed configuration simulates the wind flow over the satellite launch vehicles during the period of launch. Computations were performed for diameter-to-diameter ratio, d / D, of 0.8 and 0.6. The numerical results revealed the vortex formation and vortex shedding mechanism in the wake downstream of the cylinders. For d / D = 0.6, the near wake is wider than that of d / D = 0.8. It is also found that the base pressure coefficient values for d / D = 0.6 are lower than those for d / D = 0.8. These findings imply that the acting drag force on the cylinders for d / D = 0.6 is larger than that for d / D = 0.8. Concluding that, the base pressure coefficient depends on the diameter ratio d / D whereas, the computed vortex-shedding Strouhal number value was found to be 0.25 and is independent on the d / D ratio. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 57(4), 215-220, 2022