Prediction of Low Reynolds Number Flow over a Square Cylinder with a Porous Layer

Passive control of unsteady laminar flow of Newtonian fluid in a two-dimensional horizontal plane channel with a built-in square cylinder using a porous layer is conducted numerically. The governing equations are solved using a finite volume method adapted to the staggered grid. Computations were carried out for different permeability ranging from 10-3 to 103 at a fixed Reynolds number Re = 150 and a blockage ratio ? = h/H = 1/4. Two configurations of implementing the porous layer have been considered in this study with the aim of identifying the optimum one associated with reduced drag and lift forces exerted on the cylinder. For the optimum configuration, the effect of the permeability and the thickness of the porous layer on the global flow parameters such as the lift and drag coefficients and the Strouhal number are discussed.