Dynamics of rolling bluff bodies

The fluid-structure interaction of bluff bodies rolling through a fluid along a flat surface is explored both numerically and experimentally. This thesis identifies relevant studies from the literature, describes the different methods of investigation and presents the outcomes of the research program. A major focus is on the initial transitions of two- (in the cylinder case) and three-dimensional flows, consistent with (mostly) restricting the Reynolds number to Re<300. The numerical code is based on the spectral-element method using a full coupled approach to include the fluid-structure interaction. Experiments are conducted in a water channel under quiescent conditions.