Analysis of fluid-structure interaction by an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian finite element formulation

Abstract

In this paper, the interaction fluid–rigid body is analysed by a finite element procedure that incorporates the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method into a well-known two-step projection scheme. The flow is assumed to be two-dimensional, incompressible and viscous, with no turbulence models being included. The flow past a circular cylinder at ℛℯ=200 is first analysed, for fixed and oscillating conditions. The dependence of lock-in upon the shift between the mechanical and the Strouhal frequencies, for a given amplitude of forced vibration, is illustrated. The aerodynamic forces and the wake geometry are compared for locked-in conditions with different driving frequencies. The behaviour of a rectangular cylinder (B/D=4) at ℛℯ=500 (based on height D) is also analysed. The flutter derivatives associated with aerodynamic damping (H1* and A2* in Scanlan's notation) are evaluated by the free oscillation method for several values of reduced flow speed above the Strouhal one (namely for 3≤U*≤8). Torsional flutter was attained at U*≥5, with all the other situations showing stable characteristics. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.