Turbulent Flow Past an Array of Bluff Bodies Aligned Along the Channel Axis

Computations and measurements of time mean velocities, total fluctuation intensities, and Reynolds stresses are presented for spatially periodic flows past an array of bluff bodies aligned along the channel axis. The Reynolds number based on the channel hydraulic diameter and cross-sectional bulk mean velocity, the pitch to rib-height ratio, and the rib-height to channel-height ratio were 2 × 10⁴, 10, and 0.13, respectively. The unsteady phase-averaged Navier-Stokes equations were solved using a Reynolds stress model with wall function and wall-related pressure strain treatment to reveal the feature of examined unsteady vortex shedding flow. Laser Doppler velocimetry measurements were performed to measure the velocity field. Code verifications were performed through comparisons with others’ measured developing single-rib flow and our measured fully developed rib-array flow. The possible causes for the differences between the experiments and computations are discussed. The calculated phase-averaged flow field clearly displays the vortex shedding behind the rib and is characterized in terms of shedding Strouhal number, vortex trajectory, vortex celerity, and vortex travelling distance in a phase cycle. Furthermore, the difference between the computed developing single-rib flow and fully developed rib-array flow is addressed.