The influence of the geometry of V-gutter bluff body on transient vortex shedding

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the turbulent flow field downstream of V-gutters using unsteady numerical modelling. An important domain of application of the vortex shedding induced by the V-gutters is the flame stabilization in high speed combustion systems which find extensive applications in aerospace engineering. In view of this, the present study analyses the impact of the V-gutter geometry, as characterized by the included angle, on inducing vortex motion in the wake. Transient simulations are carried out for three values of the semi-span angle, α = 30°, 45° and 60°. Based on the analysis of the saddle point and the vortex shedding frequency, the study shows that an increase in span angle within this range, favours the effectiveness of the method in flame stabilization. Though the simulations are done for cold flow, the dominant mechanism of vortex shedding is adequately addressed in the analysis.