This paper considers the two-dimensional flow past a circular cylinder immersed in a uniform stream, when the cylinder rotates about its axis so fast that separation in suppressed. The solution of the flow in the boundary layer on the cylinder is obtained in the form of a power series in the ratio of the stream velocity to the cylinder's peripheral velocity, and expressions are deduced for the value of the circulation and the torque on the cylinder. The terms calculated explicitly are sufficient to give reliable numerical values over the whole range of rotational speeds for which the postulate of non-separating flow is justifiable. The previously accepted theory, due to Prandtl, predicted that the circulation should not exceed a certain limit, while the present theory indicates that the circulation increases indefinitely with increase of rotaional speed. Strong arguments against the older theory are put forward, but the experimental evidence available is inconclusive.
Erratum: “Laminar flow past a rotating circular cylinder” [Phys. Fluids 11, 3312 (1999)]