Linear shear flow over a square cylinder at low Reynolds number

A linear shear incompressible flow over a square cylinder at a Reynolds number of 100 is investigated using the lattice Boltzmann method. The shear rate K ranges from 0 to 0.5. The influence of shear rate on the frequency of vortex shedding from the cylinder, the lift, and the drag forces exerted on the cylinder is determined together with the flow patterns around the cylinder. The computational results not only confirm the suppression effect of the shear flow on vortex shedding from the cylinder but also reveal some basic features of the flow evolution with K. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.