Publication

Abstract : This paper is focussed on numerical investigation of flow around a stationary circular cylinder (diameter, D) with selectively applied surface roughness (roughness strips with thickness 'k') in the presence of a wake splitter plate (length, L). The plate leading edge is at a distance of 'G' from the cylinder base. For this study, the commercial software ANSYS Fluent is used. Fluid considered is water. Study was conducted the following cases (a) plain cylinder (b) cylinder with surface roughness (without splitter plate) (c) Cylinder with splitter plate (without surface roughness) and (d) cylinder with both roughness and splitter plate employed. The study Reynolds number (based on D) is 17,000 and k/δ = 1.25 (in all cases). Results indicate that, for cylinder with splitter plate (no roughness), lift coefficient gradually drops till G/D=1.5 further to which it sharply increases. Whereas, drag coefficient and Strouhal number undergoes slight reduction till G/D=1.0 and thereafter, gradually increase. Circumferential location of strip (α) does not influence the aerodynamic parameters significantly. With roughness alone, drag is magnified by about 1.5 times and lift, by about 2.7 times that of the respective values of the smooth cylinder. With splitter plate, for roughness applied at all 'α' values, drag and lift undergoes substantial reduction with the lowest value attained at G/D=1.0.