Vortex-plate interaction in wake-induced vibration: A study of single and parallel flat plates behind a cylinder

Abstract

This numerical study investigates the wake-induced vibration of single or parallel flat plates mounted in the wake of a circular cylinder in laminar flow. The results highlight the critical role of flat plate positioning, as it influences their ability to act as control mechanisms or experience significant vibrations. For a single plate, mounting outside the critical position initiates large amplitude vibrations, gradually decreasing as the plate moves away from the horizontal axis. Additionally, vibrations with moderate amplitudes are observed at specific short horizontal positions due to variations in the near-wake structure. In the case of parallel plates constrained to vibrate independently, vibrations only occur when there is sufficient space for shear-layer interaction. Different vortex suppression and plate vibration mechanisms are identified by adjusting the vertical gap, where increasing the gap reduces the non-vibrating zone. The study also examines a range of reduced velocities, revealing that although the plate(s) follow the upstream cylinder's shedding frequency in all configurations, this frequency may be affected and altered in short gaps. Comparing single and parallel plates demonstrates their potential for designing energy harvesting systems. However, parallel plates offer a slight advantage due to using independent objects within a relatively identical area.