Experimental investigation of vortex-induced vibrations of a flexibly mounted cylinder in a shear-thinning fluid

Abstract

We show experimentally that shear thinning can cause suppression of vortex-induced vibration (VIV). Increasing shear thinning in a fluid flow causes a decrease in the critical Reynolds number at which VIV occurs. VIV occurs within a range of reduced velocity, called the lock-in range. The reduced velocity at which lock-in begins, the width of the lock-in range, and the oscillation amplitude decrease for a shear thinning fluid, and beyond a critical concentration, oscillations are completely suppressed.