A Normal Flat Plate Close to a Large Plane Surface

Abstract

Summary The flow around a normal flat plate close to a large plane surface has been investigated for a range of boundary-layer thickness on the plane surface of 0.72 to 2.53 times the plate height, h. As the gap between the plate and the plane surface is reduced below about 0.55h vortex shedding from the plate is inhibited by the presence of the plane surface. Boundary layer thickness has little effect on the gap at which this occurs, but does affect the strength and frequency of vortex shedding at greater gaps. As the gap between the plate lower edge and the plane surface is decreased towards the critical value of 0.55h, both vortex strength and Strouhal number are more significantly affected when the approaching boundary layer is thin. It is not clear whether this is a result of shear or increased turbulent intensity.