The effects of wake splitter plates on the flow past a circular cylinder in the range 104

Abstract

Experiments were carried out using models having L/D [les ] 2 and the resulting pressure distributions and vortex shedding characteristics are presented. A simple visualization technique which provides explanations of some of the measured results is described. It is concluded that splitter planes reduce the drag markedly by stabilizing the separation points and produce a wake narrower than that for a plain cylinder, raise the base pressure by as much as 50% and affect the Strouhal number to a lesser degree. Careful measurement techniques have enabled these effects to be presented accurately.