Abstract
Abstract
This study conducted a numerical investigation of the flow past a linearly tapered cylinder in the subcritical flow regime. This study concentrated on the influence of this geometric perturbation on the flow and heat transfer characteristics by comparing them with those of a uniform circular cylinder. It is revealed that the linearly tapered cylinder effectively reduced the mean drag and fluctuating lift coefficients. The tapered cylinder presented different separation angle locations at different spans, gradually moving backward as the diameter increased. The linearly tapered cylinder provided a higher mean Nu than a uniform cylinder at the same Re of 3000, resulting in an increase of about 25.48% of that for a uniform cylinder. Furthermore, the variation in the Nu over time was correlated with the force coefficients. Different views of the 3D contours depicting the Nu made it evident that the Nu had a maximum at both ends of the cylinder. Characterized by high-speed velocities, the Nusselt number was notably higher in the wake region.