Flow and mass transfer characteristics for interacting side-by-side cylinders

This study investigates the local and global flow structures and mass transfer characteristics for a group of interacting side-by-side cylinders in unbounded flow. Configurations with 2, 3, 4, and 5 members are considered for a range of pitch-ratios ( $$ ) at the Reynolds number Re = 90. The focus is laid on the time-averaged and instantaneous local flow features including wake field, jet flow, vortical structures, λ ₂, pressure coefficient, and mass transfer coefficient as well as integral variables including hydrodynamic forces. Four flow regimes are identified based on the vortical structures and average stream-wise velocity field. At low pitch-ratio, the whole structure behaves like a single bluff body, while each member in the configuration behaves like an independent isolated bluff body when the pitch-ratio is large. Between these two regimes, asymmetrically and symmetrically deflected wake regimes are observed. Flow regimes dictate hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics such that a jump in the hydrodynamic forces and mass transfer coefficient is observed as the flow regime evolves from a single body to a deflected wake. The configuration's size and the position of member cylinders in the structure have more profound effects on hydrodynamic forces and mass transfer characteristics at small pitch-ratio. For all configurations, drag increases as one progresses deeper into the structure, while lift forces are always repulsive between any two neighboring cylinders. Member cylinders have comparable mass transfer coefficients at intermediate and high pitch-ratios, while exterior cylinders exhibit a higher mass transfer coefficient at low pitch-ratio. Overall, the structure's size has a more profound effect on the values of scalars at low pitch-ratios.