Applying the discrete vortex method in environmental fluid mechanics: A study of the time-averaged near wake behind a circular cylinder

This work illustrates the discrete vortex method (DVM) as a tool for simulating environmental fluid mechanics problems involving transport in the wake of a bluff body. The DVM was used to model both the long-time-averaged and instantaneous features of flow past a circular cylinder. Simulations were performed for Re = 140, 000. Verification testing was accomplished by refining time-step and vortex element circulation. The DVM was validated through comparison with experimental data from Cantwell and Coles. Verification testing demonstrated that, while global convergence is not possible for an unsteady flow simulation, it is possible to have convergence to physical results. This verification entails identifying a range of parameters in which a flow containing coherent structures and matching physical conditions is attainable. Validation tests demonstrated excellent agreement between experimental and simulated results for time-averaged velocity and shear stress profiles, as well as Strouhal number.