Equivalent Theodorsen Function for Fluidelastic Excitation in a Normal Triangular Array

Abstract

Abstract Fluidelastic instability (FEI) remains an important concern to designers of heat exchangers subjected to high flow velocities of gases, liquids or a combination of the two phases. In the present work, experimental tests are conducted to measure the quasi-steady fluid forces acting on a normal triangular tube array of P/D = 1.5 subjected to single-phase cross-flow. The quasi-steady forces together with previously measured unsteady fluid forces are used to estimate the time delay between the central tube motion and fluid forces on itself. The time delay effect for the quasi-steady fluidelastic instability model is derived in the frequency domain in the form of an equivalent Theodorsen function. The results are compared with the Theodorsen function previously obtained for the rotated triangular array. Using the time delay formulation, a stability analysis is carried out to predict the critical velocity for fluidelastic instability in a normal triangular array subjected to single-phase flow.