Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering / Cylinder Vortex Shedding
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LABORATORY 10 · AEROSPACE & AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Crossflow Around a Circular Cylinder and von Kármán Vortex Shedding

Measure the vortex shedding frequency f_s behind a circular cylinder across flow velocities to determine the non-dimensional Strouhal number St. Explore interactive wind tunnel simulation, flight dynamics, and aerospace engineering telemetry.

AERODYNAMICS · PROPULSION · FLIGHT DYNAMICS

Your virtual aerospace engineering laboratory.

SHEDDING FREQUENCY F_S—
FLIGHT & TEST CELL TELEMETRY

Ready to sample with V_inf/D = 200.0 s^-1.

200.0 s^-1
Cylinder diameter D: 25.0 mm

Adjust V_inf/D, then execute aerospace trial.

Aeronautical telemetry and flight states are evaluated rigorously using 64-bit IEEE 754 precision. Residuals reflect ordinary least-squares regression across successive observations. Continuous data structures support high-fidelity aerodynamic modeling.

Aeronautical assumptions and boundary condition limits

Strouhal number invariance (St approx 0.205) is valid in the subcritical regime; across the critical drag crisis (Re > 3 x 10^5), the vortex street becomes broadband. Linear regression of vortex shedding frequency against velocity-to-diameter ratio yields a Strouhal number St = 0.2050 with R^2 > 0.999999.

Aeronautical apparatus & wind tunnel sensors.

Precision Circular Cylinder Model (D = 25 mm)

Rigid, polished brass cylinder spanning the entire wind tunnel test section width.

Single-Sensor Constant Temperature Hot-Wire Probe

Tungsten wire sensor (5 micrometer diameter) placed 2.5 D downstream and 1.0 D offset in the shear layer.

CTA Hot-Wire Anemometer Bridge Chassis

High-frequency feedback bridge operating at 100 kHz frequency response for velocity fluctuation tracking.

Digital FFT Spectrum Analyzer

Computes real-time power spectral density (PSD) to detect dominant vortex shedding peak frequency f_s.

Subsonic Wind Tunnel Test Section

Provides smooth airspeed from V_inf = 3.75 m/s to 15.0 m/s with turbulence intensity Tu < 0.1%.

Pitot-Static Speed Monitor

Measures free-stream airspeed V_inf with 0.05 m/s resolution.

FOLLOW THE METHOD

A reason behind every step.

Measure the vortex shedding frequency f_s behind a circular cylinder across flow velocities to determine the non-dimensional Strouhal number St. Standardized parameter settings: 150.0, 200.0, 300.0, 400.0, 500.0, 600.0 s^-1.

01

Cylinder Alignment and Hot-Wire Setup

Mount the D = 25 mm cylinder horizontally and position the hot-wire sensor at x/D = 2.5, y/D = 1.0 in the active vortex shedding path.

02

Hot-Wire Sensor Calibration

Execute in-situ King's Law velocity calibration of the hot-wire anemometer against reference Pitot-static airspeeds.

03

Baseline Shedding Frequency Measurement

Set wind tunnel speed to establish V_inf / D = 150 s^-1 (V_inf = 3.75 m/s), acquire velocity time series, and compute FFT spectrum.

04

Velocity-to-Diameter Stepping

Step the velocity through V_inf / D = 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 s^-1 (corresponding to V_inf up to 15.0 m/s).

05

Peak Spectral Frequency Extraction

Identify the sharp primary spectral peak f_s on the power spectrum for each airspeed setting, recording peak frequency in Hz.

06

Strouhal Number Linear Regression

Plot shedding frequency f_s versus V_inf / D, perform linear regression to determine slope St, and verify subcritical Strouhal invariance.

YOUR NOTEBOOK · 0 OBSERVATIONS

Turn measurements into aerodynamic insight.

See a complete example report ↗

Points are your recorded observations. The solid regression line validates Cylinder Vortex Shedding mathematical scaling.

LINEAR REGRESSION FIT · y = mx + b
f_s = St \cdot \left(\frac{V_\infty}{D}\right) \implies f_s = m \cdot \left(\frac{V_\infty}{D}\right) + b
#Velocity to Diameter Ratio (s^-1)Shedding Frequency f_s (Hz)Velocity-to-Diameter Ratio V_inf / D (s^-1)Vortex Shedding Frequency f_s (Hz)Remove

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CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Explain what the aerodynamic metrics mean.

For a circular cylinder in subcritical crossflow, what is the approximate universal value of the Strouhal number St = f_s * D / V_inf?

If a 50 mm diameter cylinder is placed in an airflow of V_inf = 20 m/s, what is the predicted vortex shedding frequency for St = 0.205?

What dramatic change in flow topology occurs during the 'drag crisis' of a circular cylinder?

What engineering hazard is caused when the vortex shedding frequency locks onto the natural frequency of an aerospace structure?