LEADING EDGE SEPARATION FROM A BLUNT PLATE AT LOW REYNOLDS NUMBER: A NUMERICAL STUDY

In this study, the two dimensional, steady,ʹ laminar incompressible Navier-Stokes equation for separated and reattached flow around a bluff rectangular plate is solved numerically in terms of vorticity and stream function using a finite volume method. Velocity profiles within the boundary layer are obtained for a range of low Reynolds numbers 70 < Re < 325 in the separation region and downstream of reattachment. From the results obtained, a leading edge separation bubble was observed to form at a Reynolds number based on plate thickness of 100. The separation bubble grows in size with increasing Reynolds numbers reaching a streamwise length of six plate thicknesses at Re=325.