Flow past an Equilateral Triangular Bluff Obstacle: Computational Study of the Effect of Thermal Buoyancy on Flow Physics and Heat Transfer

Abstract

The effect of thermal buoyancy on the wake dynamics and heat transfer characteristics of an isolated equilateral triangular cylinder in cross-flow configuration is considered here. Utilizing air (Pr = 0.71) as an operating fluid computations are carried out for wide ranges of the Reynolds number (80 ≤ Re ≤ 160) and the Richardson number (−1 ≤ Ri ≤ 1). In the range of conditions studied here, flow was found to be two-dimensional and unsteady. Detailed flow physics and temperature field are visualized in terms of the streamlines, vorticity, and isotherm contours in close proximity to the cylinder. Further insights are provided by analyzing the influence of buoyancy on the overall force coefficients, and the time-averaged Nusselt number.