Direct numerical simulation of flow around a surface-mounted finite square cylinder at low Reynolds numbers

With the aid of direct numerical simulation, this paper presents a detailed investigation on the flow around a finite square cylinder at a fixed aspect ratio (AR) of 4 and six Reynolds numbers (Re = 50, 100, 150, 250, 500, and 1000). It is found that the mean streamwise vortex structure is also affected by Re, apart from the AR value. Three types of mean streamwise vortices have been identified and analyzed in detail, namely, "Quadrupole Type" at Re = 50 and Re = 100, "Six-Vortices Type" at Re = 150 and Re = 250, and "Dipole Type" at Re = 500 and Re = 1000. It is the first time that the "Six-Vortices Type" mean streamwise vortices are reported, which is considered as a transitional structure between the other two types. Besides, three kinds of spanwise vortex-shedding models have been observed in this study, namely, "Hairpin Vortex Model" at Re = 150, "C and Reverse-C and Hairpin Vortex Model (Symmetric Shedding)" at Re = 250, and "C and Reverse-C and Hairpin Vortex Model (Symmetric/Antisymmetric Shedding)" at Re = 500 and Re = 1000. The newly proposed "C and Reverse-C and Hairpin Vortex Model" shares some similarities with "Wang's Model" [H. F. Wang and Y. Zhou, "The finite-length square cylinder near wake," J. Fluid Mech. 638, 453-490 (2009)] but differs in aspects such as the absence of the connection line near the free-end and the "C-Shape" vortex structure in the early stage of the formation of the spanwise vortex.