Numerical simulation of three-dimensional instability of flow past a short cylinder

Abstract

The plane-parallel flow past an infinitely long circular cylinder becomes three-dimensional starting with Reynolds numbers Re ≈ 190. The corresponding instability mode is called mode A. When Re ≈ 260, vortex structures with a smaller cross scale are formed in the wake as a result of a secondary three-dimensional instability (mode B). The transition to three-dimensionality for a short cylinder bounded by planes is considered. The length of the cylinder is chosen to eliminate the unstable perturbations of mode A. Two instability modes similar to modes A and B modified under the effect of the bounding lateral planes are found. The problems of three-dimensional flow are numerically solved using the Navier-Stokes equations.