Investigation of unrestrained cylinders rolling in steady uniform flows

The goal of this study is to understand the movement of unexploded ordnance that may become unburied and forced by currents. Symmetrical, smooth, finite-length, unrestrained cylinders were studied in steady, uniform flows over a range of Reynolds numbers in a smooth-bottomed, horizontal flume. The study uses PIV tracking methods in the laboratory to identify the movement of ordnance simulated by unrestrained cylinders. The PIV is supported with a numerical analysis using a RANS flow solver. The simulations showed that at low Reynolds numbers the cylinders should roll at speeds near 70% of the free-stream flow.