FINITE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF TRANSVERSE LIFT ON CIRCULAR-CYLINDER IN 2DCHANNEL FLOW

The control volume-based finite-element method was used to investigate the transverse lift on a circular cylinder in a two-dimensional (2D) channel how. The study was organized in two consecutive steps: (1) Flo w past a stationary cylinder; and (2) flow past a freely translating a nd rotating cylinder The ratio of the diameter of the cylinder-to-heig ht of the channel was 0.1. The effects contributing to the lift from t he fluid inertia, the rotation of the cylinder, and the proximity of t he cylinder to the wall of the channel were explored. The results show ed that with a stationary cylinder model, the lift was positive everyw here across the channel and pushed the cylinder toward the center of t he channel; however, with a freely translating cylinder model, the lif t was positive when y(0)/H was less than or similar to 0.15 and negati ve when y(0)/H was >0.15. Fluid inertia changed the magnitude of the l ift. Rotation of the cylinder increased the lift: on a nontranslating cylinder and decreased the lift on a freely translating cylinder. To e xplain the lift distribution, a particle influence region hypothesis w as developed. The results provided an explanation for the inhomogeneou s distribution of solid particles across a pipe or channel flow.