A NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE STEADY FLOW PAST A ROTATING CIRCULAR-CYLINDER AT LOW AND INTERMEDIATE REYNOLDS-NUMBERS

Numerical solutions have been obtained for steady uniform flow past a rotating circular cylinder. Results are presented for Reynolds numbers, based on the diameter of the cylinder, 5 and 20 and the rotational parameters, α, in the range of 0≤ α ≤ 3. To avoid the difficulties in satisfying the boundary conditions at large distances from the cylinder a new numerical technique is introduced. Further, series expansion solutions are obtained which are valid at small values of α, but the results are found to be applicable over a wide range of values of α. The calculated values of the drag and lift coefficients and the general nature of the streamline patterns are in good agreement with the most recent time-dependent calculations performed by Badr and Dennis. © 1990.