The Effect of Branch Angle on the Wake of a Wall-Mounted Cruciform

We compare the flow field of a wall-mounted cruciform with three different branch angles at a Reynolds number of 15,000. A wall-mounted cruciform is a canonical representation of structures which are of interest such as piers, coral reef and oil rigs. These geometry alter the local ocean current and the sediment transport such as scouring of surrounding sediment. We show that by modifying the angle of the branching cylinder, the flow field and re-circulation zones are modified via the change in the interactions of the von Kármán shedding. The overall vorticity components generated by the cruciform is also affected by changing the branch angle. The branch angle of the cruciform redistributed the vortical structures and biased the wake profile with respect to the location of the branch. Changes in the distribution of spanwise and vertical vorticity components are provided for further insight into the vortex dynamics.