Numerical Simulation of the Effect of Rounded Edge Cylinders on Drag Coefficient

Abstract

This work aims to investigate the influence of the presence of three cylinders with rounded edges on the drag coefficient. Three heated cylinders, whose shapes varied from triangle to circle, were placed in a 2-dimensional horizontal channel with laminar, steady flow. The effect of five different Reynolds numbers (Re = 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1200) and three vertical distances (ST = 1.5D, 2D, and 3D) has been studied. A constant heat flux (q'' = 5000 W/m2) subjected to the cylinders’ walls and the rounded corners radii of the triangular cylinders was (1 mm, 1.6667 mm). The finite volume method is used to solve the governing equations (ANSYS FLUENT 2022 R2). It was observed that the coefficient of drag decreases as the Re increases and decreases with decreasing longitudinal distance. The drag coefficient decreased from (37.01%) to (72.3%) when the Reynolds number increased from (100) to (1200) at ST = 3D and from (33.1%) to (62.4%) at ST = 1.5D.