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Effect of Reynolds numbers on flow past four square cylinders in an in-line square configuration for different gap spacings

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Abstract

In this paper two-dimensional (2-D) numerical investigation of flow past four square cylinders in an in-line square configuration are performed using the lattice Boltzmann method. The gap spacing g = s/d is set at 1, 3 and 6 and Reynolds number ranging from Re = 60 to 175. We observed four distinct wake patterns: (i) a steady wake pattern (Re = 60 and g = 1); (ii) a stable shielding wake pattern (80 ≤ Re ≤ 175 and g = 1); (iii) a wiggling shielding wake pattern (60 ≤ Re ≤ 175 and g = 3) and (iv) a vortex shedding wake pattern (60 ≤ Re ≤ 175 and g = 6). At g = 1, the Reynolds number is observed to have a strong effect on the wake patterns. It is also found that at g = 1, the secondary cylinder interaction frequency significantly contributes for drag and lift coefficients signal. It is found that the primary vortex shedding frequency dominates the flow and the role of secondary cylinder interaction frequency almost vanish at g = 6. It is observed that the jet between the gaps strongly influenced the wake interaction for different gap spacing and Reynolds number combination. To fully understand the wake transformations the details vorticity contour visualization, power spectra of lift coefficient signal and time signal analysis of drag and lift coefficients also presented in this paper.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mathematics Department, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

    Waqas Sarwar Abbasi &  Shams-Ul-Islam

  2. School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia

    Suvash C. Saha & Yuan Tong Gu

  3. Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen University Town, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Zhou Chao Ying

Authors
  1. Waqas Sarwar Abbasi
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  2. Shams-Ul-Islam
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  3. Suvash C. Saha
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  4. Yuan Tong Gu
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  5. Zhou Chao Ying
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Correspondence to Shams-Ul-Islam.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Yang Na

Shams Ul Islam is currently an assistant professor in Mathematics Department, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan. He received his Ph.D. in 2010. His research interests include fluid structure interaction, numerical investigation of bluff body flows, heat and mass transfer.

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Abbasi, W.S., Shams-Ul-Islam, Saha, S.C. et al. Effect of Reynolds numbers on flow past four square cylinders in an in-line square configuration for different gap spacings. J Mech Sci Technol 28, 539–552 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-1121-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-1121-8

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