A comparison of the wake structure of a stationary and oscillating bluff body, using a conditional averaging technique

A conditional averaging technique to extract the underlying vortex pattern from a turbulent bluff body wake is described. Ensemble averages of wake velocities are developed on the basis of a reference phase position, determined from the outer flow irrotational fluctuations. The method is applied to the wakes of a stationary and oscillating D-shape cylinder, where, in the latter case, the vortex shedding is locked to the frequency of body movement. Direct comparisons of average circulation and vortex street spacings are obtained and these demonstrate the significant change in wake structure that accompanies and sustains vortex-induced vibrations. It is observed in both conditions that only 25% of the estimated shed vorticity is found in the fully developed wake. In addition the analysis produces profiles of vorticity and velocity in an ‘average vortex cycle’. A model, developed to help interpret these results, suggests that a good representation of an average wake situation is obtained by the addition of considerable mean shear to a street of finite area axisymmetric vortices.