Numerical simulations for the flow-induced vibrations of tandem dual flexible circular cylinders

Abstract

The three-dimensional large-eddy-simulation coupled with a mode superposition method was applied to numerically simulate the flow-induced vibrations (FIVs) of tandem dual flexible cylinders at Re = 1000 with three different spacing ratios (Sx/D = 2.5, 3.5, and 5, Sx is center-to-center spacing for tandem cylinders, and D is the diameter of the cylinder), corresponding to the reattachment flow, transition flow, and co-shedding flow regimes in stationary tandem cylinders, respectively. The effects of Sx/D on structural vibrations, flow fields, distributions of the surface pressures, and energy properties were investigated to reveal the mechanism for the FIV. Increasing Sx/D weakens the influence of the upstream cylinder on maximum response amplitudes and lock-in region for downstream cylinder. The wake patterns for tandem flexible cylinders are more complex compared to stationary or vibrated rigid tandem cylinders. The shielding effect reduces surface pressure on the downstream cylinder significantly when its vibrations are smaller, leading to a decrease in mean power as well. Furthermore, different mechanisms contribute to amplified FIV in downstream cylinders depending on Sx/D: when Sx/D = 2.5, the upstream vortices collide with the downstream cylinder's front surface and merge with the vortices generated by the downstream cylinder, increasing negative pressure on both front and rear surfaces of the downstream cylinders and promoting FIV; however when Sx/D =3.5 and 5, a binary vortex street forms behind the downstream cylinder without obvious negative pressures on its front surface, the dominant causes of FIV are primarily attributed to interactions among upstream and downstream vortices.