NUMERICAL-CALCULATION OF LAMINAR VORTEX-SHEDDING FLOW PAST CYLINDERS

The paper presents numerical calculations of laminar vortex-shedding flows past circular and square cylinders for Re ≤ 5000 in the former and Re ≤ 300 in the latter case. The calculations were performed by solving the unsteady 2D Navier-Stokes equations with a finite volume method incorporating the third-order-accurate discretization scheme QUICK. The resulting Reynolds number dependence of the Strouhal number and of the drag coefficient is compared with experiments and with previous numerical results, showing good agreement for the lower Reynolds numbers at which fully laminar flow can be expected (Re < 1000). For higher Reynolds numbers the calculations deviate from the measurements, and this is blamed on the beginning influence of stochastic fluctuations. For the circular cylinder the time development of the flow towards periodic vortex shedding is illustrated by a series of streamline pictures, and for both geometries the time development of a number of important flow parameters is also presented and discussed. © 1990.