Comparison of wake behind finned cylinders with fin pitch variations in cross-flow

Sudirman and Ruslim

Citation: 1788, 030014 (2017); doi: 10.1063/1.4968267

View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4968267
View Table of Contents: http://aip.scitation.org/toc/apc/1788/1
Published by the American Institute of Physics
 Comparison of Wake Behind Finned Cylinders with Fin
Pitch Variations in Cross-Flow
Sudirman1, a) and Ruslim1, b)
1
Mechanical Engineering, The Borneo Tarakan University, Indonesia
a)
Corresponding author: sudirman_dhuha@yahoo.co.id
b)
ruslim1974@gmail.com

Abstract. Comparison of wake behind finned cylinders with fin pitch variations in cross-flow has been done with
computational fluid dynamics analysis. Finned cylinder modeled in GAMBIT and simulated in FLUENT software with a
Reynolds number of 2.5 x 104 based on the cylinder diameter and the average velocity inlet. The velocity profiles of
numerical simulation results indicate that the area of the wake behind the finned cylinder with a fin pitch of 10 mm wider
than the circular cylinder and another finned cylinder.

INTRODUCTION
The interaction between fluid flow and bluff body or a streamlined body are still or moving were encountered in
engineering applications. Heat exchanger, wind turbine, offshore construction of buildings, bridges, and
transportation equipment were among the many areas that its design is influenced by the nature of fluid flow. This
makes the flow characteristics of fluid through an object into a research topic widely studied. Ishima et al [1],
Pis'mennyi [2], and Triyogi et al. [3] have examined changes in the flow of up-stream to down-stream after passing
through the test object with a few variations.
Research on fluid flow past a finned cylinder have been conducted by several researchers, Khashehchi et al. [4]
observed the characteristics of the flow behind the finned and foamed cylinder. Measurements were made with a
PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) in the wind tunnel. In these experiments produced that the size of the structure of
turbulent flow behind the cylinder grew when the fin or foam added to the cylinder. In plain cylinder and the finned
cylinder obtained the same flow pattern, i.e., an increase in the Reynolds number is inversely proportional to the size
of the area of the vortex formation. Ishima et al. [1] conducted a study to determine the characteristics of the flow
around the cylinder fins with a certain inclined. The inclined of the cylinder resulting wake area getting longer and
the velocity component in perpendicular to the mainstream direction has a large difference by the inclined angle.
Flow around the finned cylinder with a slope of 0 degrees is almost equal to the cylinder without fins. However,
when the finned cylinder is tilted there is an increase in the wake. In addition, the fin made more complex flow and
finned cylinder equivalent to the larger diameter cylinder.
Several studies of the flow around the finned cylinder have been mentioned before is the observation by an
experimental method with a focus that is, the effect of the fin and foam on the cylinder, and the effect of the inclined
cylinder on the flow characteristics in the down-stream area. In this study, it discussed the effect of distance between
the fins of the wake behind the cylinder with the fins. In addition to experimental observations, numerical methods
into other alternatives that can be used to analyze the flow around the finned cylinder which has not been done.

EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
This research was conducted by numerical simulation using FLUENT software Gambit 2.4 and 6.3. The
description of the numerical simulation and the object model of the research described in the following paragraphs:

International Conference on Engineering, Science and Nanotechnology 2016 (ICESNANO 2016)

AIP Conf. Proc. 1788, 030014-1–030014-7; doi: 10.1063/1.4968267
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1452-5/$30.00

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 FIGURE 1. Dimensional object and variation research.

Figure 1 shown one finned cylinder with variations in the distance between the fin 10 mm used in this study. The
fixed parameters of the cylinder are the cylinder diameter (d) 25 mm, length (L) 200 mm, fin thickness (t) 2 mm, and
the diameter of the fin (R) 60 mm. The parameters are changed, the distance between fins, 10 mm, 14 mm and 18
mm. Domain simulation and boundary conditions are shown in Fig. 3. A quarter of the research object shown in Fig.
3, is limited by the area of XY and XZ defined as areas of symmetry. Numerical simulation in this study conducted
with the 3D approach steady flow Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and RNG k-ε. Properties of air used in
STP conditions with a temperature of 28 °C, the density (ρ) 1.17 kg/m3, viscosity (μ) = 1.85 x 10-5 N.s/m2, and
Red2.5 x 104 which is based on the diameter of the cylinder. Flowchart numerical simulation is shown in Fig. 2.

No
Drawing geometry Defining the mesh
Start and create a mesh boundary on checking the mesh
well?
using gambit geometry

Yes Yes
Plot the velocity The determination of the
profile, turbulence Iteration Numerical boundary conditions,
End processing
intensity and flow No error? solver, viscous, and the
visualization material

FIGURE 2. Flowchart numerical simulation with the Gambit and Fluent.

(a) (b)
Description :
A = Inlet (velocity inlet), B = Outlet (out flow), C = Symmetry 1, D = Symmetry 2, E = Wall, F = Cylinder (wall), G = Fin (wall)
FIGURE 3.The boundary type on Gambit for numerical simulation, (a) seemed isometry and (b) appear areas of YZ.

In Table 1 shown meshing circular cylinder models of the test object without fin with 3D modeling. Meshing A
is the most tenuous meshing with the number of faces 582.166, while meshing E is the most tightly meshing with
the number of faces 731.666. In Table 1 show that the mesh A has the smallest value CD is 1.03 and mesh E has a

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CD greatest value is 1,33. Once validated by research conducted by Ladjedel et al [5] about the flow across the
circular cylinder, then the meshing used in this study is meshing C with the smallest error CD value of 1.59%. This
is done so that the numerical simulation can generate an accurate value and the simulation process is effective and
efficient.
TABLE 1. Grid independence circular cylinder without fin
Meshing Faces CD CD[5] |Error|
A 582.166 1,03 1,26 18,41 %
B 612.066 1,06 1,26 15,56 %
C 671.866 1,24 1,26 1,59 %
D 701.766 1,31 1,26 3,97 %
E 731.666 1,33 1,26 5,24 %

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figure 4 shown the trend of the velocity profile graph behind the circular cylinder is narrower than the velocity
profile behind the other finned cylinder. It can be observed from the ratio u/Umax at y/d = 1d when x/d = 4d, for a
circular cylinder is 0.73, while for the cylinder fins with a variation of the distance between fin 10 mm, 14 mm, 18
mm each is 0.32, 0.41, and 0.46. This shows that the distance between the fins narrower, the flow with Re 2 x 105
produced a wider area of the wake behind a cylinder that is still influenced by the vortex. It can also be observed in
the circular cylinder (Fig. 6), the area of the blue as a low-velocity area and the area behind the circular cylinder
wake at the beginning of flow separation point on the surface of the cylinder, then evolved to a maximum 0,6d on
the positive y-axis limits. Increasing low-velocity area and in the wake, region is clearly visible after the addition of
a fin on the cylinder surface with variations in fin pitch of 10 mm, 14 mm and 18 mm.

FIGURE 4. Velocity profile at x = 4d from the cylinder centerline

Regions wake formed behind a circular cylinder is smaller than the area of a wake formed behind all fin
cylinders, as shown in Figure 4. This shows that the circular cylinder generates momentum smaller deficit compared
with a deficit of momentum from the finned cylinder. The relationship between the velocity profile is formed behind
the cylinder and the drag force can be explained by the momentum equation is expressed as follows:

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 (1)

In this study, the observed flow is incompressible flow, then from equation 1 above it can be stated that the
factors affecting changes in the drag force are the velocity profile in the wake. The bigger the deficit momentum,
then drag the resulting force will also be larger than the drag force generated by the object with momentum deficit
smaller in the wake. Thus, in cases observed drag force generated by a circular cylinder is smaller than the drag
force on the finned cylinder.
Figure 5 is displayed turbulence intensity (IT) in the region wake circular cylinder and the cylinder fins with a fin
pitch of 10 mm. The maximum value of turbulent intensity on the circular cylinder and cylinder fins are demarcated
separation line. Based on this the greatest speed fluctuations occur in separation line. Free flow out through the gap
between fins reduces the area of maximum turbulence intensity. It contributed wake a wider area. The maximum
intensity of turbulence that occurs distributed in areas near separation line. This is because the wake area is an area
with a low velocity compared to areas outside separation line so that the area near separation line speed fluctuation
is large enough. In addition to fluctuations in velocity, turbulence intensity values are also influenced by the average
speed in the area observed. The greater the value of the average flow velocity in the area observed, then the value of
turbulence intensity will be smaller.

FIGURE 5. Turbulence intensity at x = 4d from the cylinder centerline

Flow characteristics in fin pitch area affected by the relative lengths of the fin to the circular cylinder diameter
and the distance between fin. The flow patterns for the long fin relative to the diameter of the cylinder ( h/d > 0.4) in
front of the cylinder is shown in Fig. 7 (a), whereas for h/d < 0.4 the flow pattern in the area between the fin is
shown in Fig. 7 (b), Relatively long fin on the study of the cylinder diameter is 0.6, so that the flow pattern which is
used for comparison is the flow pattern in Fig. 7 (a).

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 FIGURE 6. Contour and vector velocity (m/s) in the x-y plane (z = 0)

FIGURE 7. Flow patterns ahead of the front area of the finned tube: a – at high values of a relative fin height (h/d > 0.4); b –
at small values of h/d (h/d < 0.4); A – zone of secondary circulation flows; A1, A3 – zones of flow separation from the fin surface;
A2, A4 – flow attachment zones. [2]

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 Cylinder

FIGURE 8. Pathline and the velocity vector at the upstream and downstream regions in the gap between the fin (a) 10 mm and
(b) 18 mm at midspan area.

Figure 8 is shown the flow pattern in front of the finned cylinder with fin pitch of 10 mm and 18 mm at midspan
area. The airflow moves from the central channel between the fin to fin base so that the secondary stream flowing on
the surface of the fin section A2. It forms the flow separation area (A3). In the limits of this zone, the flow can be
characterized as a counter flow into the main stream. The separation area is shown in fig. 8 with a circle A on the
surface of the fin in front of the cylinder.
The flow patterns downstream in the gap between the fin near the midspan area formed vortices to the distance
between the fin 10 mm and 18 mm. In the fin pitch of 10 mm, the vortex is formed wider than the fin pitch of 18
mm. This is due to incoming backflow in the gap between the fin 10 mm to flow in the same direction before
forming the vortex. While the incoming backflow in the gap between the fin 18 mm divided toward and away from
the area approached the midspan.

CONCLUSION
1. Addition fin on the surface of the circular cylinder generates wake pattern that is wider than wake patterns
generated by the circular cylinder.
2. The closer the distance between the fin, the pattern of wake behind the cylinder fins widening.
3. The intensity turbulent wake greatest in areas with a distance 4d from the cylinder centerline.
4. The distance between the fin narrower vortex formed between the fin will be more than the distance between the
wider fin
5. The maximum value of turbulent intensity on circular cylinder and finned cylinder are sparation boundary line,
the greatest speed fluctuations occur on a line sparation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to gratefully appreciate my supervisor Professor Sutardi for his support during this study. I would
like to thank LPPM Borneo Tarakan University which has provided funding publication of this research.

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 REFERENCES
1. T. Ishima, T. Sasaki, Y. Gokan, Y. Takahashi and T. Obokata, “Flow Characteristics around an Inclined Circular
Cylinder with Fin,” in 14th International Symposium on Applications of Laser Techniques to Fluid Mechanics,
2008, pp. 1–10.
2. Pis’mennyi, E.N., Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 55, 5016-5031 (2012).
3. Y. Triyogi, D. Suprayogi and E. Spirda, J. Mech. Eng. Sci. 223, 2291-2296 (2009).
4. Khashehchi, K., Abdi, I. A., Hooman, K., and Roesgen, T., Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci. 52, 328-338 (2013).
5. A. O. Ladjedel, B. T. Yahiaoui, C. L. Adjlout, and D.O. Imine, “Experimental and Numerical Studies of Drag
Reduction on a Circular Cylinder” in International Journal of Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, Mechatronic
and Manufacturing Engineering, (World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, Turkey, 2011), pp.
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