A numerical study on fluid flow around two side-by-side rectangular cylinders with different arrangements

This study numerically examines the flow around a pair of parallel rectangular cylinders placed perpendicular to the direction of the flow using the immersed boundary method at a fixed Reynolds number of 100. A total of eight spacing ratios between 0.1 and 2 are considered in the two arrangements of the cylinders. The two cylinders are arrayed in inline and a staggered arrangement. The pattern of the wake of the two cylinders depends on their arrangements and spacing. The results, show four flow regimes: (i) A single bluff-body regime, (ii) an asymmetric wake regime, (iii) a transition regime, and (iv) a coupled street regime. All flow regimes appear in the case of the inline arrangement. In the case of the staggered arrangement, only the three flow regimes other than the coupled street flow regime are shown. The flow characteristics depend on the flow regime, including the flow structure, drag force, lift force, and frequency. We analyzed the flow characteristics by comparing the flow regimes, vortex shapes, drag and lift coefficients, and Strouhal numbers, which depended on the arrangement. The results of the drag, lift, and Strouhal numbers depend on the interaction of the jet that forms between the cylinders and the adjacent wakes near the cylinder. Therefore, the flow characteristics are sensitive to the arrangement and the distance between the cylinders.