Influence of surface roughness on vortex shedding characteristics in the flow around a circular cylinder

Abstract The advancement of marine energy resources, including offshore wind power and seabed minerals, has led to the increased construction and utilization of cylindrical structures in marine environments. However, these structures frequently encounter the issue of circumferential flow, causing their surfaces to degrade due to seawater corrosion or the attachment of marine organisms. Leveraging the open-source code Basilisk , this study employs a quadtree grid to simulate, numerically and in two dimensions, the flow patterns around a cylinder with varying Reynolds numbers and surface roughness. By examining the vortex features formed around the cylinder, the study determines the distribution of vorticity on its circumferential surface, as well as the Strouhal number and how surface roughness impacts the vortex shedding behavior during flow. The findings indicate that surface roughness significantly affects vortex characteristics and the distribution of vorticity around the cylinder, but has a relatively minor influence on the Strouhal number.