Numerical simulation of unconfined flow past a triangular cylinder

• Published in: International journal for numerical methods in fluids Vol. 52; no. 7; pp. 801 - 821
• Main Authors: Kumar De, Arnab, Dalal, Amaresh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 10.11.2006; Wiley
• Subjects: Computational methods in fluid dynamics; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid dynamics; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); laminar vortex shedding; onset of vortex shedding; pathlines; Physics; Rotational flow and vorticity; Separated flows; streaklines; triangular cylinder; Vortex shedding; Streamlines; Computational fluid dynamics; Bluff body; Refinement method; Digital simulation; Triangular shape; streaklines; Boundary conditions; pathlines; Finite volume methods; onset of vortex shedding; Laminar flow; Multigrid; triangular cylinder; laminar vortex shedding; Modelling; Vortex flow; Mesh generation
• ISSN: 0271-2091; 1097-0363
• DOI: 10.1002/fld.1210

Numerical simulations of two‐dimensional laminar flow past a triangular cylinder placed in free‐stream at low Reynolds number (10⩽Re⩽250) are performed. A finite volume method, second‐order accurate in space and time, employing non‐staggered arrangement of the variables with momentum interpolation for the pressure–velocity coupling is developed. Global mode analysis predicts Recr=39.9 which confirms the results of earlier studies. Vortex shedding phenomena is found to be similar to the square cylinder with no second bifurcation in the range of Re studied. A discussion on the time‐averaged drag coefficient, rms of lift coefficient and Strouhal number is presented. Particle tracking and the instantaneous streaklines provide an excellent means of visualizing the von Kármán vortex street. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.