THREE-DIMENSIONAL EFFECTS OF THE FLOW NORMAL TO A FLAT PLATE AT A HIGH REYNOLDS NUMBER

Plate components are often found in offshore and marine structures, such as heave damping plates in spar platform and bilge keels in ships. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations are performed to investigate the 3D effects of the flow normal to a flat plate at a high Reynolds number (Re = 1.5 x 10(5), based on the height of the plate and the free stream velocity). The ratio of the plate thickness to the plate height is 0.02. The 2D simulations are carried out by solving the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations with the k-omega Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model, while the 3D simulations are carried out with the large-eddy simulation (LES) method. The hydrodynamic results (such as time-averaged drag coefficient, Strouhal number and mean recirculation length) are compared with the published experimental data. The near-wake flow structures are also discussed. The 3D simulation results are in good agreement with the published experimental data; however, the 2D simulations show a poor comparison with the experimental data. This shows that the 3D effects are important for the high Reynolds number flow normal to a flat plate.