Author(s): Abhinav Thakurta; Ram Balachandar; Ronald Barron
Linked Author(s): Ram Balachandar
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: Helical strakes have been proposed as a passive method to mitigate vortex shedding from circular wall-mounted cylinders. The current investigation employs particle image velocimetry (PIV) in a shallow flow to analyze the intricate wake flow patterns behind a wall-mounted helical straked cylinder. A comparison is made in the study between the mean velocity contours, Reynolds normal stresses, and turbulence intensity in the wake of a plain cylinder with that of a helical straked cylinder. A three-start helical strake is used in the study with a pitch (p) of 10d and a height (h) of 0.2d, where d represents the diameter of the plain cylinder. The results demonstrate that the presence of helical strakes significantly alters the wake characteristics, increases the vortex formation length, and enhances Reynolds stresses. These findings establish a framework for benchmarking against numerical simulations, providing valuable insights into the efficacy of helical strakes in modifying wake dynamics.
Year: 2024