High Reynolds number turbulent flow past a rotating cylinder

High Reynolds-number flow over a rotating cylinder is investigated by two-dimensional numerical computations. The Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations are solved via the finite-volume method and they are closed by a modified k–ε turbulence model. The spin ratio a is defined as the ratio between the cylinder’s circumferential speed velocity to the free-stream varies from 2 to 8. The flow is examined at Reynolds numbers from 5 × 105 to 5 × 106, which is considered to be an interesting range for industrial flows. Available experimental and numerical data were used to verify the validity of the implemented procedure.The results revealed stabilization of the acting forces at high spin rates, thus indicating a flowfield with suppressed vortex-shedding activity, as it is expected, in accordance with theoretical considerations in previous studies. Load coefficients were found to be inversely proportional to the Reynolds number for most of the examined rotational rates.