Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of horseshoe vortex system at a vertical plate-base plate juncture

The investigation of horseshoe vortex flows, near the juncture of a vertical plate and a base plate, is performed using flow visualization technique and particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. The flow patterns are classified into four major categories while the Reynolds number, based on the free stream velocity and the width of vertical plate, varies from 400 to 11000, and the height-to-width ratio changes from 0.5 to 4.0. Some characteristics of the steady horseshoe vortex structure, including instantaneous and mean velocity field, the position of primary vortex core, the position of stagnation point on the vertical plate, down-flow velocity profiles and down-flow discharge, and the circulation of primary vortex, are quantified and discussed in this paper.