Forces Exerted on a Cylinder in Near-Axial Flow

This study investigates the flow around a cylinder in a near-axial flow at a Reynolds number of 27,000. Both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations and experiments are performed. Time-mean values of lift force coefficient are investigated against the inclination of the cylinder in the domain of low inclinations (<15 deg). A pressure distribution and flow profiles are also measured and extracted from the CFD calculation results for a characteristic inclination α = 5 deg. Numerical results for force and pressure show fair agreement with experiments for inclination below 5 deg and reveal that at low angles, the lift force is proportional to the angle. In the framework of a quasi-static approach, the instantaneous damping force exerted on a cylinder oscillating in axial flow is equivalent to the normal force exerted on a cylinder placed in an oblique flow.