Advances in Numerical Data Visualization of Flow around a Square Cylinder

Abstract

In this work, we present a grid study oriented to capture 3D flow simulations around smooth and wrinkled cylinders that could have practical applications in various engineering areas. The study considers three Reynolds numbers, namely, a benchmark Re =2.14×104 and two orders of magnitude above and below it. The main contributions of the paper relate to the optimization of the computational mesh for the spanwise direction of the wind flow that results from the computational-mathematical framework employed, in addition to a novel visualization technique that unfolds features in the recording data that could otherwise be hidden when using traditional plots. We compare our benchmark results with those reported by other authors to conclude that the intermediate resolution grids employed with the widest spanwise provide acceptable results. Furthermore, the new visualization technique offers significant advantages compared to traditional pressure maps, regarding clarity for observing and interpreting local flow disturbances, making variations with Re clearer, and by enabling the detection of asymmetries.

Keywords

• CFD-meshing
• square cylinder
• flow visualization
• polar charts
• taxicab measure
• force coefficients