Effect of the blockage ratio on the flow in a channel with a built-in square cylinder

The structures wakes behind a square cylinder in a laminar channel flow is conducted numerically. The Strouhal number, drag and lift coefficients were studied in a periodic flow for different blockage ratios =1/4, 1/6 and 1/8 at Reynolds number ranging from 62 to 300. The governing equations are solved by using control volume finite element method (CVFEM) adapted to the staggered grid. The SIMPLER algorithm is used for the velocity-pressure coupling. The critical Reynolds numbers corresponding to the onset of vortex shedding and its change from simple periodic to complex periodic motion are established. A discussion about the effect of the blockage ratio on the Strouhal number, the time-averaged drag coefficient and the amplitude of the lift coefficient is also presented.