Flow past a rotating cylinder predicted by a compact Eulerian viscous vorticity method under non-inertial rotating frame

An Eulerian vorticity method, based on a vorticity-stream function formulation, initially developed for the 2-D viscous unsteady flow past a circular cylinder, is extended in the case of 2-D flow past a rotating cylinder in a rotational frame of reference. The vorticity equation is shown to have the same form as in the case of an inertial frame of reference. Thus, the general structure of the numerical algorithm remains the same as in the inertial frame of reference. The non-inertial effects only enter in the calculation of the velocity field, and the vorticity induced velocity is modified to account for the non-inertial contributions due to the frame rotation. Results from the current method for the flow past a rotating cylinder are presented and shown to agree very well with those from other numerical methods and experimental benchmark tests.

Automated summary

An Eulerian vorticity method, originally developed for 2-D viscous unsteady flow past a circular cylinder, has been extended to the case of 2-D flow past a rotating cylinder in a rotational frame of reference. The general structure of the numerical algorithm remains the same as in the inertial frame of reference, with non-inertial effects only affecting the calculation of the velocity field. Results show good agreement with other numerical methods and experimental tests.