Three-dimensional numerical modeling of flow upstream of a symmetric streamlined body mounted over a flat plate with tip gap

Abstract

In this research activity numerical simulations are carried out to investigate the flow field upstream of a symmetric streamlined body mounted perpendicular to a flat plate with and without clearance gap between the tip of the streamlined body and the flat plate with laminar boundary layer. The developed numerical model successfully predicted the three-dimensional horseshoe vortex system upstream of the streamlined body with and without the tip gap. The resulting vortex system for the configuration with tip gap contains multiple vortices with characteristics similar to that of end-wall-flows of surface-mounted obstacles. The effects of varying tip gap clearance for various values of free stream Reynolds number are also investigated. It was found that the introduction of a gap between the streamlined body tip and flat surface caused shifting of the vortex structure system in the upstream direction. Moreover, it is observed that the free stream Reynolds number and the tip gap between the streamlined body and the flat plate substantially influences the unsteady character of the flow field and the vortex system structure. Results obtained from the numerical simulations are compared with experimental measurements of a blunt body configuration and have been found in good agreement.