Journal of Ocean University of China

, Volume 13, Issue 5, pp 761–770 | Cite as

Experimental study on the flow around two tandem cylinders with unequal diameters

  • Yangyang Gao
  • Stephane Etienne
  • Xikun Wang
  • Soon Keat Tan
Article
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Abstract

In this paper, flow around two circular cylinders in tandem arrangement with unequal diameters has been investigated using the particle image velocimetry technique (PIV) in a water channel. The upstream to downstream diameter ratio was kept constant at d/D = 2/3, the centre-to-centre distance was varied from 1.2D to 5D and the Reynolds number was varied from 1200 to 4800. The flow characteristics were analyzed through ensemble-averaged patterns of velocity, vorticity, normalized Reynolds stress contours and streamlines. Based on ensemble-averaged and instantaneous flow fields, different flow patterns, including single-wake-shedding at small spacing ratio, bi-stable flow behavior (alternating behavior of reattachment and vortex shedding) at intermediate spacing ratio and co-shedding pattern at large spacing ratio were observed. The effects of Reynolds number and the centre-to-centre spacing ratio on flow patterns and turbulent characteristics were also investigated. It was found that the diameter ratio appears to have a certain effect on the flow patterns at intermediate spacing ratios, where the reattachment of shear layer depends on the lateral width of the wake flow in the lee of the upstream cylinder. Extensive discussion on the distributions of Reynolds stress and turbulent kinetic energy was presented.

Key words

tandem cylinders with unequal diameters PIV flow patterns Reynolds stress distribution 
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Copyright information

© Science Press, Ocean University of China and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Yangyang Gao
    • 1
    • 2
  • Stephane Etienne
    • 3
  • Xikun Wang
    • 4
  • Soon Keat Tan
    • 4
  1. 1.Ocean CollegeZhejiang UniversityHangzhouP. R. China
  2. 2.State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment DynamicsSecond Institute of Oceanography, SOAHangzhouP. R. China
  3. 3.Mechanical Engineering DepartmentEcole Polytechnique de MontrealMontrealCanada
  4. 4.Maritime Research Centre and School of Civil and Environmental EngineeringNanyang Technological UniversityNanyangSingapore

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