Since the review of periodic flow phenomena by Berger & Wille (1972) in this journal, over twenty years ago, there has been a surge of activity regarding bluff body wakes. Many of the questions regarding wake vortex dynamics from the earlier review have now been answered in the literature, and perhaps an essential key to our new understandings (and indeed to new questions) has been the recent focus, over the past eight years, on the three-dimensional aspects of nominally two-dimensional wake flows. New techniques in experiment, using laser-induced fluorescence and PIV (Particle-Image-Velocimetry), are vigorously being applied to wakes, but interestingly, several of the new discoveries have come from careful use of classical methods. There is no question that strides forward in understanding of the wake problem are being made possible by ongoing three- dimensional direct numerical simulations, as well as by the surprisingly successful use of analytical modeling in these flows, and by secondary stability analyses. These new developments, and the discoveries of several new phenomena in wakes, are presented in this review.

Vortex Dynamics in the Cylinder Wake

One of the most challenging and time-consuming problems in experimental fluid mechanics is the measurement of the overall flow field properties, such as the velocity, vorticity, and pressure fields. Local measurements of the velocity field (i.e., at individual points) are now done routinely in many experiments using hot-wire (HW) or laser velocimetry (LV). However, many of the flow fields of current interest, such as coherent structures in shear flows or wake flows, are highly unsteady. HW or LV data of such flows are difficult to interpret, as both spatial and temporal information of the entire flow field are required and these methods are commonly limited to simultaneous measurements at only a few spatial locations.

Particle Image Velocimetry

Simple aerodynamic configurations under even modest conditions can exhibit complex flows with a wide range of temporal and spatial features. It has become common practice in the analysis of these flows to look for and extract physically important features, or modes, as a first step in the analysis. This step typically starts with a modal decomposition of an experimental or numerical dataset of the flowfield, or of an operator relevant to the system. We describe herein some of the dominant techniques for accomplishing these modal decompositions and analyses that have seen a surge of activity in recent decades [1–8]. For a nonexpert, keeping track of recent developments can be daunting, and the intent of this document is to provide an introduction to modal analysis that is accessible to the larger fluid dynamics community. In particular, we present a brief overview of several of the well-established techniques and clearly lay the framework of these methods using familiar linear algebra. The modal analysis techniques covered in this paper include the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), balanced proper orthogonal decomposition (balanced POD), dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), Koopman analysis, global linear stability analysis, and resolvent analysis.

https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/pdf/10.2514/1.J056060

Modal Analysis of Fluid Flows: An Overview

A global method of generalised differential quadrature is applied to solve the two-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in the vorticity-stream-function formulation. Numerical results for the flow past a circular cylinder were obtained using just a few grid points. A good agreement is found with the experimental data.

Application of generalized differential quadrature to solve two-dimensional incompressible navier-stokes equations

The dynamic characteristics of the pressure and velocity fields of the unsteady incompressible laminar wake behind a circular cylinder are investigated numerically and analysed physically. The governing equations, written in a velocity—pressure formulation and in conservative form, are solved by a predictor—corrector pressure method, a finite-volume second-order-accurate scheme and an alternating-direction-implicit (ADI) procedure. The initiation mechanism for vortex shedding and the evaluation of the unsteady body forces are presented for Reynolds-number values of 100, 200 and 1000.The vortex shedding is generated by a physical perturbation imposed numerically for a short time. The flow transition becomes periodic after a transient time interval. The frequency of the drag and lift oscillations agree well with the experimental data.The study of the interactions of the unsteady pressure and velocity fields shows the phase relations between the pressure and velocity, and the influence of different factors: the strongly rotational viscous region, the convection of the eddies and the almost inviscid flow.The interactions among the different scales of structures in the near wake are also studied, and in particular the time-dependent evolution of the secondary eddies in relation to the fully developed primary ones is analysed.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022112086003014

Numerical study and physical analysis of the pressure and velocity fields in the near wake of a circular cylinder

A visualization method is used to obtain the main features of the hydrodynamic field for flow past a circular cylinder moving at a uniform speed in a direction perpendicular to its generating lines in a tank filled with a viscous liquid. Photographs are presented to show the particular fineness of the experimental technique. More especially, the closed wake and the velocity distribution behind the obstacle are investigated; the changes in the geometrical parameters describing the eddies with Reynolds number (5 < Re < 40) and with the ratio λ between the diameters of the cylinder and tank are given. A comparison with existing numerical and experimental results is presented and some remarks are made about the calculation techniques proposed up to the present. The limits of the Reynolds-number range for which the twin vortices exist and adhere stably to the cylinder are determined.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022112077000147

Experimental determination of the main features of the viscous flow in the wake of a circular cylinder in uniform translation. Part 2. Unsteady flow

The time development of the symmetrical standing zone of recirculation, which is formed in the early stage of the flow due to a circular cylinder impulsively set in motion perpendicular to its generators, has been studied using a flow visualization technique. The Reynolds numbers (based upon the diameter) range from 40 to 104. Some new phenomena indicated in the flow patterns are revealed, and several different regimes are differentiated by a detailed analysis of the evolution of the main flow characteristics. A correlation with some theoretical results is established.

The early stage of development of the wake behind an impulsively started cylinder for 40 Re 4

Early stages of unsteady viscous flows around a circular cylinder at Reynolds numbers of 3 × 103 and 9.5 × 103 are analysed numerically by direct integration of the Navier–Stokes equations – a fourth-order finite-difference scheme is used for the resolution of the stream-function equation and a second-order one for the vorticity-transport equation. Evolution with time of the flow structure is studied in detail. Some new phenomena are revealed and confirmed by experiments.The influence of the grid systems and the downstream boundary conditions on the flow structure and the velocity profiles is reported. The computed results are compared qualitatively and quantitatively with experimental visualization and measurements. The comparison is found to be satisfactory.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022112085003408

Numerical solution of the early stage of the unsteady viscous flow around a circular cylinder: a comparison with experimental visualization and measurements

On etudie par voies numerique et experimentale l'ecoulement plan engendre par la translation uniforme en regime de Stokes d'un cylindre a mi-distance entre deux parois planes paralleles. On donne des resultats fiables et detailles concernant le champ hydrodynamique et le coefficient de trainee pour une gamme tres etendue du rapport de confinement (jusqu'a 0,9).

Roger Bouard

Papers

Experimental determination of the main features of the viscous flow in the wake of a circular cylinder in uniform translation. Part 2. Unsteady flow

The early stage of development of the wake behind an impulsively started cylinder for 40 Re 4

Numerical solution of the early stage of the unsteady viscous flow around a circular cylinder: a comparison with experimental visualization and measurements

Etude théorique et expérimentale de l'écoulement engendré par un cylindre en translation uniforme dans un fluide visqueux en régime de Stokes

Calcul de l'écoulement autour d'un cylindre semi-circulaire par une méthode de collocation