Numerical investigation of vortex-induced vibrations for flow past a circular cylinder

The objective of the present investigation is to study the vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) for flow past a circular cylinder. The turbulent flow is simulated by using a 2-D standardk-ɛ model incorporating the finite volume method (FVM) and the Semi-Implicit Method for the Pressure Linked Equations (SIMPLE) algorithm on non-orthogonal boundary-fitted collocated grids. The wall boundaries are approximated with wall functions. In the numerical cases, the turbulent wake patterns are studied by plotting the streamlines and the turbulent kinetic energy contours. The pressure distributions are investigated. Analyses of the vortex-induced force coefficients and the structural vibrations are carried out. The variations of the Strouhal number with the Reynolds number and of the vortex-induced force coefficients with the reduced velocity are obtained. The results show that this numerical approach is feasible and efficient in investigating the VIV problem for a circular cylinder.