An investigation of the influence of splitter plates on the vortical wake behind a circular cylinder in cross-flow

Widely recognized for its simplicity, the splitter plate is an effective device for drag reduction in bluff bodies. It consists of a flat plate, which is placed in the center line of the wake, in streamwise direction, and it works by changing the way the shear layers interact with one another. This paper analyzes the sensitivity the drag force exhibits with respect to the length and position of that simple device. The main purpose is to determine the plate dimensions that lead to a minimum of the time-averaged drag coefficient. The results agree with previously published data, to the effect that the extrema depend on the Reynolds number. Moreover, they show that minimum drag configurations may also be characterized by significant reductions in the amplitude of drag and lift oscillations.