Steady streaming around a circular cylinder in an oscillatory flow

Steady streaming induced by an oscillatory flow around a circular cylinder is investigated using a numerical method. Two-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations are solved using a finite element method with a k–ω turbulent model closure. The range of the Keulegan–Carpenter (KC) number investigated is between 2 and 40, which is substantially higher than those reported in literature related to steady streaming to date. A constant value of Stokes number (β) of 196 is chosen in this study. The steady streaming structures and velocity distribution are analysed in detail. It is found that the characteristics of steady streaming are strongly related to the vortex shedding flow regimes.