Vortex Shedding in Underwater Circular Cylinders

This repository contains the simulation and analysis of vortex shedding around underwater circular cylinders at high Reynolds number (Re = 10,000). The project demonstrates the dynamics of Vortex-Induced Vibrations (VIV) and evaluates the accuracy and reliability of the RANS Shear-Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model in capturing the VIV phenomenon.

Here is the vorticity with time:

vorticity_vortes_shedding.1.mp4

Overview

Vortex shedding plays a significant role in underwater structures' vibrations, known as Vortex-Induced Vibrations (VIV). The study investigates:

• The formation and evolution of vortices downstream of a circular cylinder.
• Time-varying lift and drag coefficients due to vortex shedding.
• Pressure distribution along the cylinder surface.

Results and Validation

The results are validated by comparing the pressure coefficients along the cylinder surface with experimental data of Stephen Wornom 2001

Velocity

Vortex evolution with time:

Lift vs Time

Drag vs Time

Coefficient of Pressure

Key Highlights

1. Vortex Formation Dynamics

   • Vortices are generated alternately downstream of the circular cylinder.
   • Animations showcase the evolution of vortices over 50s, 100s, and 450s.

2. Lift and Drag Coefficients

   • Time-varying lift and drag coefficients demonstrate the oscillatory behavior of VIV.

3. Pressure Distribution

   • Pressure coefficients along the cylinder surface are compared with experimental data for validation.

Getting Started

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/saifrehman945/FluentVortexShedding.git
   cd vortex-shedding

2. Open the FluentFiles/ directory in ANSYS Fluent and load the provided case files.

3. Run the simulation and export results for further analysis.

4. View animations in the Animations/ folder or generate new ones using the exported data.

Prerequisites

• ANSYS Fluent (tested with version Ansys 2020R1)

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.