Vortex structure behind highly heated tandem twin cylinders

Vortex structures behind two highly heated cylinders of equal diameter in tandem arrangements have been investigated experimentally. The experiments were performed under the following conditions: cylinders diameter, D = 4 mm; mean flow velocity of air, U∞ = 1.0 m/s; Reynolds number, Re = 250; cylinders spacing ratio, S/D = 1.0~10.0; and cylinder heat flux, q = 0~72.6 kW/m2. Two distinct flow structures are formed in the region of the cylinder clearance which depends on the S/D and the cylinder surface temperature, Tw. One is a quasi-stationary twin vortex at the small S/D condition (S/D3.0~5.0). Behind the downstream cylinder, the Karman vortex street is formed in all conditions. The critical S/D changing to the Karman vortex increases with increasing the temperature of the upstream cylinder. The Strouhal number St under the twin vortex forming is in the range of 0.150 to 0.155 regardless of the S/D and heating conditions, while the St of the Karman vortex formed behind the downstream cylinder is decreased significantly as the S/D increases. For the large S/D, the Karman vortex is formed behind both of the cylinders then the upstream St agreed with the downstream St. St of the Karman vortex coincides with St in the single-cylinder condition taken into account of the cylinder heating conditions. For the small S/D and the upstream cylinder in a highly heated condition, the twin vortex structure behind the upstream cylinder plays a key role in the downstream shedding Karman vortex structure.