Numerical simulation of planar shear flow passing a rotating cylinder at low Reynolds numbers

Two-dimensional shear flow over a rotating circular cylinder is investigated using lattice Boltzmann method. Simulations are performed at a fixed blockage ratio (B = 0.1) while the Reynolds number, nondimensional shear rate (K) and absolute rotational speed range as 80 ≤ Re ≤ 180, 0 ≤ K ≤ 0.2 and −2 ≤ β ≤ 2, respectively. To verify the simulation, the results are compared to previous experimental and numerical data. Quantitative information about the flow variables such as drag and lift coefficients, pressure coefficient and vorticity distributions on the cylinders is highlighted. It is found that, generally, with the increment in |β|, the absolute value of time average lift coefficient increases and time average drag coefficient decreases, and beyond a certain magnitude of β, the vortex shedding vanishes. It is also revealed that the drag coefficient decreases as the Reynolds number increases while the effect of the Reynolds number on lift is almost negligible. At the end, correlations for drag and lift coefficients ([`(C<sub>D</sub> )] ,[`(C_L )]){(overline {C_D } ,overline {C_L })} are extracted from the numerical data.