Control of vortex shedding from a circular cylinder using imposed transverse magnetic field
International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow
ISSN: 0961-5539
Article publication date: 11 January 2011
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to simulate the flow of a conducting fluid past a circular cylinder placed centrally in a channel subjected to an imposed transverse magnetic field to study the effect of a magnetic field on vortex shedding at different Reynolds numbers varying from 50 to 250.
Design/methodology/approach
The two‐dimensional incompressible laminar viscous flow equations are solved using a second‐order implicit unstructured collocated grid finite volume method.
Findings
An imposed transverse magnetic field markedly reduces the unsteady lift amplitude indicating a reduction in the strength of the shed vortices. It is observed that the periodic vortex shedding at the higher Reynolds numbers can be completely suppressed if a sufficiently strong magnetic field is imposed. The required magnetic field strength to suppress shedding increases with Reynolds number. The simulation shows that the separated zone behind the cylinder in a steady flow is reduced as the magnetic field strength is increased.
Originality/value
In this paper, due attention is given to resolve and study the unsteady cylinder wake and its interaction with the shear‐layer on the channel wall in the presence of a magnetic field. A critical value of the Hartmann number for complete suppression of the shedding at a given Reynolds number is found.
Keywords
Citation
Singha, S. and Sinhamahapatra, K.P. (2011), "Control of vortex shedding from a circular cylinder using imposed transverse magnetic field", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 32-45. https://doi.org/10.1108/09615531111095058
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited