In this talkwe consider the onset of global instability in the flow past a row of circularcylinders placed in an oncoming uniform stream. A hybrid spectral method isused to first compute the steady flow and then investigate its linear stabilityby solving a generalised eigenvalue problem. Results have been obtained for thevarious mode classes, and our results show that for the odd-even modes whichcorrespond to anti-phase oscillatory motion about the mid-plane between thecylinders, and are the ones most extensively studied in the literature, theeffect of blockage has a marginal inuence on the critical Reynolds numbers forinstability. This is in sharp contrast to results cited in many studies with afully developed inlet flow past a cylinder placed between confining walls. Weare also able to nd other unstable modes and in particular for low blockageratios, the odd-odd modes which correspond to in-phase oscillatory motion aboutthe mid-plane between the cylinders, are the first to become unstable as comparedto the odd-even modes, and with much lower frequencies. |