This video, created by undergraduates as part of a fluid dynamics laboratory course, shows flow visualization of a von Karman vortex street in the wake of a cylinder in comparison to a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the same phenomenon. If you’re wondering about the black-and-white segments and the peculiar speech patterns, look no further. The students are parodying a series of videos made by MIT in the 1960s that are still used in classrooms today.
Tag: von Karman vortex street
Island Vortices
The von Karman vortex street isn’t just found in the wake of cylinders in a lab. Wind moving over islands frequently creates the effect, as in this MODIS Aqua image of the coast of Baja California, Mexico. #
Vortex Shedding
Whenever a bluff (i.e. non-aerodynamic) body is placed in a flow of sufficient Reynolds number, it will shed periodic vortices, creating a pattern known as a von Karman vortex street. The animation above shows the phenomenon in the wake of a cylinder, but vortex streets form behind many other bodies as well, including islands. Each vortex shed causes forces on the body and alternating vortices can cause the body to vibrate. This is what causes suspended power lines to “sing” in the wind. #
