Synchronous Vortex Shedding (Vortex Pumping) Downstream of a Flat Plate Array

Flow visualization and statistics, obtained downstream of an array of flat plates, are presented. Flow visualization shows that the mean separation between streaklines for the flow downstream of adjacent channels is negatively correlated. Consistent with this observation, the zero-time cross correlation of the fluctuating velocity between adjacent plates is negative. Vortices shed at the trailing edges of the bounding surfaces that form a channel in the plate array are in-phase, but they are nearly 180 deg out-of-phase with the vortices shed at the trailing edges of the bounding surfaces of adjacent channels. Relative to the mean velocity, the axial velocity on the midplane of the channel increased in the region between each pair of vortices. At downstream positions not near the vortex pair, the velocity on the midplane is relatively decreased. Hence, vortices shed at the trailing edges of the channel surfaces lead to “vortex pumping,” which is consistent with the negative correlation of the fluctuating velocity on the midplanes between adjacent channels. [S0098-2202(00)01701-6]