Vortex shedding suppression and wake control: A review

Wake destructive behavior and vortex shedding behind bluff bodies may be controlled by use of active and passive methods. Computational fluid dynamics, experimental and analytical techniques have been utilized to study this problem. In this survey, existing studies on different methods of controlling the wake destructive behavior and suppression of vortex shedding behind bluff bodies are discussed, including the very recent developments. These methods are classified into two groups. In the first group, these methods are discussed according to the type of external source or modification of the geometry of bluff body for controlling the flow. In the second group, the methods are classified according to the part of the flow, boundary layer or wake, that is modified by the method. Advantages, limitations, energy efficiency, and particular applications of each method are discussed and summarized, followed by some conclusions and recommendations. Moreover, the effectiveness of each technique on the drag reduction is discussed.