High Speed Aerodynamic Characteristics of Rarefied Flow past Stationary and Rotating Cylinders

High-speed rarefied flow past both stationary and rotating cylinders is investigated using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method. Test validations are initially compared against experimental drag coefficients for flow past a stationary cylinder. We then compare various aerodynamic characteristics such as the coefficients of lift and drag, as well as the coefficients of pressure, skin friction, and heat transfer for stationary and rotating cylinders. The impact of flow speed and rarefaction on the drag and lift coefficients has also been assessed. In particular, an inverse Magnus effect, which involves a change in direction of the lift force, has been observed in the high subsonic flow regime. The flow characteristics are entirely different in the supersonic regime since the flow is predominantly affected by the Mach number. The effects of rotation rate and incomplete surface accommodation have also been studied for a rotating cylinder.