The effect of member spacing upon the base pressure distributions recorded on perpendicular flat plates

Conclusions The experimental results presented in this note have provided a comparison between the flow induced pressure distributions associated with non-connecting perpendicular flat plates and similar configurations composed of circular cylinders and square section bars.With regard to the upstream plate, the pressure distributions were found to closely resemble those associated with perpendicular cylinders and, therefore, it is suggested that similar spacing related flow regimes exist. In this respect, at separation distances below three section depths trailing vortices are generated in proximity to the centre of the geometry, whereas at spacings in excess of three section depths the conditions become quasi two-dimensional along the whole span.In the case of the downstream plate, the results at spacings of four section depths and below are similar to those on the downstream perpendicular bar, which is subjected to a horseshoe vortex flow regime over a comparable range of spacings. However, at spacings greater than four section depths the conditions appear to be unique to this section geometry.