Numerical prediction of aerodynamic characteristics of prismatic cylinder by finite element method with Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model

Aerodynamic characteristic of prismatic cylinders is numerically investigated by using finite element method with Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model. The developed model is verified against the available experimental and numerical results for turbulent flow past a square cylinder. The flow behaviors for prismatic cylinders with different section-shapes are compared in terms of instantaneous and time-averaged streamlines. The trends of aerodynamic quantities, including drag and lift forces and Strouhal number with the change of the section-shape are in reasonable agreement with the existing experimental results. The results show that the fluctuating pressure is more sensitive to the change of the afterbody shape.