Validation 3. Laminar Flow Around a Circular Cylinder

Introduction

Steady and unsteady laminar flow behind a circular cylinder, representing flow around bluff bodies, has been subjected to numerous experimental and computational studies. Most of the experimental studies are based on flow visualization and they indicate that as the Reynolds number Re increases, the flow shows a series of different structures [1]. One of the most prominent flow structure changes takes place in the vicinity of Re = 40. Below this Reynolds number, the flow is steady and characterized by the presence of a symmetric pair of closed separation bubbles. Beyond Re = 40, the flow becomes unsteady and asymmetric, and alternate vortex shedding begins.