Evolution of clusters of turbulent reattachment due to shear layer instability in flow past a circular cylinder

Abstract

We perform large eddy simulations of flow past a circular cylinder for Reynolds number (Re) range, 2×103≤Re≤4×105, spanning subcritical, critical and supercritical regimes. We investigate the spanwise coherence of the flow in the critical and supercritical regimes using complex networks. In these regimes, the separated flow reattaches to the surface in a turbulent state due to the shear layer instability. We find that in the early critical regime, the turbulent reattachment does not occur simultaneously at all span locations. It occurs incoherently along the span in clusters. In contrast, at higher Re in the supercritical regime, the turbulent reattachment occurs coherently and is relatively less clustered. We study this transformation of flow using time-varying spatial-proximity networks based on the fluctuations in surface pressure due to the shear layer instability. Connected components in these networks represent clusters of turbulent reattachment, and their evolution explains the underlying mechanism of spatial transformation.