Vortex shedding from circular cylinders at low Reynolds numbers

Abstract

Experiments on slightly tapered models of circular cross-section have shown that the vortex wake structure exists in a number of discrete cells having different shedding frequencies. Within each cell shedding is regular and periodic, the frequency being somewhat lower than that from a parallel cylinder of the same diameter. A similar type of wake behaviour has also been observed on a parallel model in a non-uniform mean flow. These results suggest that the discontinuities in the shedding law observed by Tritton could arise through non-uniformities in the flow.