When there is wind at a surface, and a rotating cylinder is placed there, mounted in a way that it is free to reorient itself, can it be predicted if the cylinder will align itself in a certain way?
Perhaps it is easier to first consider the same scenario but without a surface. So, simply, a rotating cylinder in wind. Can it be predicted if it will prefer to orient itself in a certain way?
A cylinder with its axis perpendicular to the wind direction, will for example experience lift. Is there anything to suggest a rotating cylinder, free to orient itself in any direction, will prefer to orient itself perpendicular to the wind (its axis perpendicular), such that it also develops lift?
And, what if a surface is then added?
May be possible to make an analogy to how cylinders rotating in the same direction repel while those rotating in opposite direction attract. In this case, the surface with wind over it may "appear" similar to the surface of a rotating cylinder.
