Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Newtonian Flow around a Confined Square Cylinder

The confined flow of a Newtonian fluid around a square cylinder mounted in a rectangular channel was investigated both numerically and experimentally. Ratio between the pipe and channel height, the blockage ratio, is kept constant at 1/4. The flow variables including streamlines, vorticity and drag coefficients were calculated at 0 ≤ Re ≤ 50 using finite volume method. The velocity terms in the momentum equations are approximated by a higher-order and bounded scheme of Convergent and Universally Bounded Interpolation Scheme for the Treatment of Advection (CUBISTA). Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was also used to obtain the two-dimensional velocity field. The flow measurements were conducted for 1 ≤ Re ≤ 50. Streamline and vorticity results obtained by PIV are compared with those of the numerical simulation. Based on this comparison, good agreement is found between the numerical and experimental results in a qualitative manner.