Fluid flow due to a cylinder rolling along ground

Planar fluid flow produced by a cylinder rolling over a flat surface is studied, with a view to modelling certain basic effects of a wheel moving uniformly along the ground.This is formulated in terms of a circular cylinder rotating at constant angular velocity, touching and not slipping relative to the moving ground (flat surface). The response near the contact point is obtained analytically and, in conjunction with a transformation, is incorporated in a compact differencing approach. Results are presented over a range of moderate Reynolds numbers, based on the ground speed and cylinder radius, and flow separation properties are discussed.