Fluid flow and heat transfer around a confined semi-circular cylinder: Onset of vortex shedding and effects of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers

Flow and heat transfer characteristics around a semi-circular cylinder placed in a confined channel are investigated in the unsteady regime. The two-dimensional simulations are carried out for varying values of control parameters: Reynolds number (Re) = 50-200 and Prandtl number (Pr) = 0.7, 10 and 100 at a fixed blockage ratio of 25% for Newtonian constant-property fluid. Continuity, Navier-Stokes and energy equations with appropriate boundary conditions are solved using the commercial computational fluid dynamics solver Ansys Fluent. The transition from steady to time-periodic flow occurs between Re = 69 and 70. The effect of Prandtl number on Nusselt number is pronounced; the ratio of Nusselt number values belonging to Pr = 100 and those belonging to Pr = 0.7 ranges from 6.3 to 6.5 over the Reynolds number domain investigated. Finally, the present numerical results are used to develop drag coefficient, Strouhal number and Nusselt number correlations. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.