Vortex and wake-induced vibrations of a tandem arrangement of two flexible circular cylinders with near wake interference

Abstract

Results showing the dynamic response of a tandem arrangement of two vertical high aspect ratio (length over diameter) and low mass ratio (mass over mass of displaced fluid) flexible cylinders vibrating at low mode number are presented in this paper. Two circular cylinder models were aligned with the flow, so the downstream or trailing cylinder was immersed in the wake of the leading one. Centre-to-centre distances from 2 to 4 diameters were studied. The models were very similar in design, with external diameters of 16 mm and a total length of 1.5 m. Reynolds numbers up to 12 000 were achieved with reduced velocities, based on the fundamental natural frequency of the downstream cylinder in still water, up to 16. The trailing model had a mass ratio of 1.8 with a combined mass-damping parameter of 0.049, whilst the corresponding figures for the leading cylinder were 1.45 and 0.043, respectively. The dynamic response of the trailing model has been analysed by studying cross-flow and in-line amplitudes, dominant frequencies and modal amplitudes. The dynamic response of the leading one is analysed by means of its cross-flow amplitudes and dominant frequencies and it is also related to the motion of the trailing cylinder by studying the synchronisation between their instantaneous cross-flow motions. Planar digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) was used to visualise the wake. Different response regimes have been identified based on the type of oscillations exhibited by the cylinders: vortex-induced (VIV), wake-induced (WIV) or combinations of both.