Experimental investigation of the wake behind a rotating sphere

Abstract

The wake behind a sphere, rotating about an axis aligned with the streamwise direction, has been experimentally investigated in a low-velocity water tunnel using LIF visualizations and PIV measurements. The measurements focused on the evolution of the flow regimes that appear depending on two control parameters, namely the Reynolds number $Re$ and the dimensionless rotation or swirl rate $\Omega$, which is the ratio of the maximum azimuthal velocity of the body to the free stream velocity. In the present investigation, we cover the range of $Re$ smaller than 400 and $\Omega$ from 0 and 4. Different wakes regimes such as an axisymmetric flow, a low helical state and a high helical mode are represented in the ($Re$, $\Omega$) parameter plane.