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Force coefficients and Strouhal numbers of three circular cylinders subjected to a cross-flow

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Abstract

In this paper, wind tunnel experiments were conducted to measure the mean force coefficients and Strouhal numbers for three circular cylinders of equal diameters in an equilateral-triangular arrangement when subjected to a cross-flow. These experiments were carried out at five subcritical Reynolds numbers ranging from 1.26 × 104 to 6.08 × 104. The pressure distributions on the surface of the cylinders were measured using pressure transducers. Furthermore, the hot-wire anemometer was employed to measure the vortex shedding frequencies behind each cylinder. Six spacing ratios (l/d) varying from 1.5 to 4 were investigated. It is observed that for l/d > 2, the upstream cylinder experiences a lower mean drag coefficient compared with the downstream cylinders. The minimum values of the drag coefficient for the downstream cylinders occur at l/d = 1.5 and l/d = 2, because there is no vortex shedding from the foregoing cylinders. Also, the value of the pressure coefficient behind the upstream cylinder reduces by increasing l/d. Moreover, by decreasing the value of l/d, the Strouhal number for the upstream cylinder increases. It can be concluded that the flow pattern and aerodynamic coefficients are basically dependent on l/d; in other words, decreasing l/d results in an increase in the effects of the flow interference between the cylinders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, P.O. Box 16765-3381, Tehran, Iran

    Sohrab Gholamhosein Pouryoussefi & Masoud Mirzaei

  2. Air University of Shahid Sattari, P.O. Box 1384663113, Tehran, Iran

    Sam Mohamad-Hassan Pouryoussefi

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  1. Sohrab Gholamhosein Pouryoussefi
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  2. Masoud Mirzaei
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Correspondence to Masoud Mirzaei.

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Pouryoussefi, S.G., Mirzaei, M. & Pouryoussefi, S.MH. Force coefficients and Strouhal numbers of three circular cylinders subjected to a cross-flow. Arch Appl Mech 81, 1725–1741 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00419-011-0514-3

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