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Computer‐aided analysis of flow past a surface‐mounted obstacle
Author(s) -
Fragos V. P.,
Psychoudaki S. P.,
Malamataris N. A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
international journal for numerical methods in fluids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.938
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1097-0363
pISSN - 0271-2091
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0363(19970915)25:5<495::aid-fld571>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - laminar flow , streamlines, streaklines, and pathlines , mechanics , reynolds number , finite element method , hele shaw flow , newtonian fluid , flow (mathematics) , mathematics , open channel flow , classical mechanics , geometry , physics , thermodynamics , turbulence
The incompressible, laminar, isothermal flow of a Newtonian fluid at steady state past a surface‐mounted obstacle (flow over a step) is studied in a two‐dimensional numerical experiment using the Galerkin finite element method. The dimensionless Navier–Stokes equations are solved in the whole range of the laminar flow regime. The numerical predictions are compared with available experimental data. The emphasis in the discussion of the results is on the presentation of the streamlines for various Reynolds numbers, the pressure distribution over and downstream of the step, the shear stress distribution along the surface of the step and the length of the recirculation region as a function of the Reynolds number. This analysis may be used in numerous applications from agricultural to civil, mechanical and chemical engineering. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.