The flow configurations around and the forces acting on a
circular cylinder with its axis parallel to a nearby plane boundary
and subjected to a uniform flow were investigated. The flow conditions,
which were perpendicular to the cylinder axis and parallel to
the plane boundary were investigated experimentally and theoretically.
Flow visualization was achieved through the use of tiny air bubbles
entrapted in the fluid to locate the stagnation point and point of
separation of flow. Also, the configuration of the cylinder wake
was observed. A force measuring device employing the use of straingauges
was used to record the change in lift and drag as the cylinder
neared the plane boundary.
The results showed that the drag and lift increased, and that
the cylinder wake approximated that of an aerofoil configuration as
the cylinder neared the plane boundary. In addition, as the cylinder
approached the plane boundary, the top separation point of the
cylinder boundary layer moved towards the front of the cylinder, the
bottom separation point moved towards the rear of the cylinder, and
the front stagnation point moved downward. The boundary layer along
the plane boundary was observed to separate at a position downstream
of the test cylinder. This separation point position was determined
to be a function of the distance between the cylinder and the plane
boundary for a specific Reynolds number
