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A PIV study of the near wake flow features of a square cylinder: influence of corner radius

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Abstract

In this study, the near wake characteristics of transversely oscillating square-section cylinders with different corner radii were investigated using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique in a water channel with turbulence intensity of 6.5%. Five models with r/B = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5, respectively (where r and B represent the corner radius and the characteristic dimension of the body, respectively), were studied, with the body oscillation limited to that under the lock-in condition. Corner radius was found to significantly influence the characteristics of the flow around the bodies, both under stationary and oscillating conditions. The results indicate that the Strouhal number and vortex strength of the flow increase and decrease, respectively, with an increase in the r/B ratio. The spacing between two rows of vortices (b) as well as that between consecutive vortices in a row (a) was also found to decrease with the increase in the corner radius. The b/a ratio was found to be nearly independent of the r/B ratio and body oscillation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, AMRITA University, Amritapuri Campus, Kollam District, India

    R. Ajith Kumar

  2. School of Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, 702-701, Korea

    Chang Hyun Sohn

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, BTL Institute of Technology, Bommasandra, Bangalore, India

    B. H. Lakshmana Gowda

Authors
  1. R. Ajith Kumar
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  2. Chang Hyun Sohn
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  3. B. H. Lakshmana Gowda
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chang Hyun Sohn.

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Recommended by Associate Editor Daejoong Kim

R. Ajith Kumar holds an M.Tech and Ph.D. degrees from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. His field of specialization is Flow-Induced Vibrations. He has authored several articles in international journals and conferences. He serves as an editorial board member to an international journal and also as a reviewer to many international journals. He is a full professor to the department of mechanical engineering, AMRITA University, Amritapuri Campus, Kollam, India.

Chang Hyun Sohn received M.S. (Eng) and Ph.D. degrees from KAIST. He worked in ADD for 3 years. He studied in Cambridge University as a visiting assistant professor from 1996 to 1997. He worked in Kyungpook National University as a professor since 1994. His research interests are CFD, PIV, Flow Induced Vibration and Thermal-hydraulics in Mechanical Engineering Field.

B. H. Lakshmana Gowda: He received his M.E. (Eng) degree in 1965 from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He also received his Ph.D. in 1974 from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He worked in Indian Institute of Technology, Madras as a professor since 1967. He worked in Kyungpook National University as a visiting professor from 2004. He works in Mechanical Engineering, BTL Institute of Tecnology, Bommasandra, Bangalore since 2008. His research interests are Turbulent Shear Flows, Flow Induced Vibration and Flow Around Three-Dimensional Bluff Bodies.

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Kumar, R.A., Sohn, C.H. & Gowda, B.H.L. A PIV study of the near wake flow features of a square cylinder: influence of corner radius. J Mech Sci Technol 29, 527–541 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-015-0113-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-015-0113-2

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