Reduction of drag force on a circular cylinder and pressure drop using a square cylinder as disturbance body in a narrow channel

Many studies related with characteristics of fluid flow acrossing in a bluff body have been conducted. The aim of this research paper was to reduce pressure drop occuring in narrow channels, in which there was a circular cylindrical configuration with square cylinder as disturbance body. Another goal of this research was to reduce the drag force occuring in circular cylinder. Experimentally research of flow characteristics of the wind tunnel had a narrow channel a square cross-section, with implemenred of Reynolds number based on the hydraulic diameter from 5.21x104 to 1.56x105. Wind tunnel that was used had a 125×125mm cross-sectional area and the blockage ratio 26.4% and 36.4%. Specimen was in the form of circular cylinder and square cylinder as disturbance body. Variation of angle position was the inlet disturbance body with α = 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600, respectively. The results was obtained from this study was Reynolds Number value was directly linear with pressure drop there, it was marked by increasing of Reynolds number, the value was also increasing pressure drop. Additional information was obtained by adding inlet disturbance body shaped of square cylinder on the upstream side of the circular cylinder that could reduce pressure drop in the duct and reduce drag happening on a circular cylinder. The position of the optimum angle to reduce pressure drop and drag force was found on the inlet disturbance body with angle α = 30°.