Two dimensional separated flow: Experiment and discrete vortex dynamics simulation

A laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) was used to measure the time averaged flow properties and their fluctuations in an open water channel test section. Experimental results include the flow and normal direction velocities (mean and root mean square), Reynolds shear stress, and separated flow length. The variation of the reattachment location was also obtained as a function of Reynolds number and flow expansion ratio. Flow visualization was employed to gain further understanding of the flow structure. Numerical results obtained with a method known as discrete vortex dynamics are described. This method provides a Lagrangian description of fluid flow in which the distribution of vorticity is discretized and its time dependent motion is calculated. Thus, unsteady flow phenomena can be included within this time dependent computational method.