https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-07141-y
Regular Article
Optimization of drag and lift forces via positional tuning of vertical splitters upstream and downstream around a blunt object: a study on vorticity control
1
School of Mathematics, University of Minnesota, 55455, Twin Cities, MN, USA
2
Department of Mathematics, AIR University, Sector E-9, Islamabad, Pakistan
3
Department of Mathematics, Namal University Mianwali, 42250, Mianwali, Pakistan
a
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Received:
22
April
2025
Accepted:
30
November
2025
Published online:
13
December
2025
Abstract
This study investigates laminar flow around a circular cylinder 
controlled by vertical splitter plates placed upstream, downstream, and simultaneously on both sides using the finite element method. Building on earlier numerical studies of wake modification and flow separation control, this work extends the understanding by analyzing splitter plates placed upstream, downstream, and simultaneously on both sides of the cylinder. A systematic parametric variation of the gap-to-diameter ratio 
, height-to-diameter ratio 
, and vertical displacement from the channel's centerline 
, shows that an upstream plate of height 
can boost lift by about 72% though reducing drag by around 22%, owing to stronger circulation and pressure variances in the wake. When the plate 
is detached from the obstacle, both upstream and downstream arrangements lead to a steady and further symmetric flow, dropping drag by up to 30% and lift by almost 98% when positioned upstream at 
. The maximum stable and effective flow was accomplished with a novel dual-plate setup, where splitter plates of height were located simultaneously upstream and downstream, resulting in a 36% drag reduction and complete elimination of lift oscillations. It was observed from results that careful variation of the size and spacing of splitter plates can be an active way to control flow behavior, either by increasing lift for energy-harvesting purposes or by reducing unsteady forces to achieve flow stabilization. Overall, the current research highlights how small geometric modifications can significantly influence the flow around bluff bodies and suggests valuable intuitions for designing more efficient aerodynamic and hydrodynamic systems.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
