EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF FLOW OSCILLATIONS IN A RECTANGULAR CAVITY

The unsteady, incompressible, moderate Reynolds number flow past a rec tangular cavity is experimentally and numerically investigated. Laser- Doppler anemometry, flow visualization and unsteady numerical simulati on using fully second-order accuracy in time and space, were the tools employed to meet this purpose. Large-amplitude organized oscillations are reported to occur in the investigated geometry due to fluid-dynam ic instability. Detailed flow visualization and unsteady predictions c learly show that the instability process involves a complex coupling o f shear layer and recirculating flowfield dynamics. The paper also dem onstrates the accuracy of the present calculations.