Large-amplitude flapping of an inverted flag in a uniform steady flow – a vortex-induced vibration

2016 ◽  
Vol 793 ◽  
pp. 524-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Sader ◽  
Julia Cossé ◽  
Daegyoum Kim ◽  
Boyu Fan ◽  
Morteza Gharib

The dynamics of a cantilevered elastic sheet, with a uniform steady flow impinging on its clamped end, have been studied widely and provide insight into the stability of flags and biological phenomena. Recent measurements by Kim et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 736, 2013, R1) show that reversing the sheet’s orientation, with the flow impinging on its free edge, dramatically alters its dynamics. In contrast to the conventional flag, which exhibits (small-amplitude) flutter above a critical flow speed, the inverted flag displays large-amplitude flapping over a finite band of flow speeds. The physical mechanisms giving rise to this flapping phenomenon are currently unknown. In this article, we use a combination of mathematical theory, scaling analysis and measurement to establish that this large-amplitude flapping motion is a vortex-induced vibration. Onset of flapping is shown mathematically to be due to divergence instability, verifying previous speculation based on a two-point measurement. Reducing the sheet’s aspect ratio (height/length) increases the critical flow speed for divergence and ultimately eliminates flapping. The flapping motion is associated with a separated flow – detailed measurements and scaling analysis show that it exhibits the required features of a vortex-induced vibration. Flapping is found to be periodic predominantly, with a transition to chaos as flow speed increases. Cessation of flapping occurs at higher speeds – increased damping reduces the flow speed range where flapping is observed, as required. These findings have implications for leaf motion and other biological processes, such as the dynamics of hair follicles, because they also can present an inverted-flag configuration.

2019 ◽  
Vol 874 ◽  
pp. 526-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boyu Fan ◽  
Cecilia Huertas-Cerdeira ◽  
Julia Cossé ◽  
John E. Sader ◽  
Morteza Gharib

The stability of a cantilevered elastic sheet in a uniform flow has been studied extensively due to its importance in engineering and its prevalence in natural structures. Varying the flow speed can give rise to a range of dynamics including limit cycle behaviour and chaotic motion of the cantilevered sheet. Recently, the ‘inverted flag’ configuration – a cantilevered elastic sheet aligned with the flow impinging on its free edge – has been observed to produce large-amplitude flapping over a finite band of flow speeds. This flapping phenomenon has been found to be a vortex-induced vibration, and only occurs at sufficiently large Reynolds numbers. In all cases studied, the inverted flag has been formed from a cantilevered sheet of rectangular morphology, i.e. the planform of its elastic sheet is a rectangle. Here, we investigate the effect of the inverted flag’s morphology on its resulting stability and dynamics. We choose a trapezoidal planform which is explored using experiment and an analytical theory for the divergence instability of an inverted flag of arbitrary morphology. Strikingly, for this planform we observe that the flow speed range over which flapping occurs scales approximately with the flow speed at which the divergence instability occurs. This provides a means by which to predict and control flapping. In a biological setting, leaves in a wind can also align themselves in an inverted flag configuration. Motivated by this natural occurrence we also study the effect of adding an artificial ‘petiole’ (a thin elastic stalk that connects the sheet to the clamp) on the inverted flag’s dynamics. We find that the petiole serves to partially decouple fluid forces from elastic forces, for which an analytical theory is also derived, in addition to increasing the freedom by which the flapping dynamics can be tuned. These results highlight the intricacies of the flapping instability and account for some of the varied dynamics of leaves in nature.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay D Waldrop ◽  
Laura A. Miller

Valveless, tubular pumps are widespread in the animal kingdom, but the mechanism by which these pumps generate fluid flow are often in dispute. Where the pumping mechanism of many organs was once described as peristalsis, other mechanisms, such as dynamic suction pumping, have been suggested as possible alternative mechanisms. Peristalsis is often evaluated using criteria established in a technical definition for mechanical pumps, but this definition is based on a small-amplitude, long-wave approximation which biological pumps often violate. In this study, we use a direct numerical simulation of large-amplitude, short-wave peristalsis to investigate the relationships between fluid flow, compression frequency, compression wave speed, and tube occlusion. We also explore how the flows produced differ from the criteria outlined in the technical definition of peristalsis. We find that many of the technical criteria are violated by our model: fluid flow speeds produced by peristalsis are greater than the speeds of the compression wave; fluid flow is pulsatile; and flow speed have a non-linear relationship with compression frequency when compression wave speed is held constant. We suggest that the technical definition is inappropriate for evaluating peristalsis as a pumping mechanism for biological pumps because they too frequently violate the assumptions inherent in these criteria. Instead, we recommend that a simpler, more inclusive definition be used for assessing peristalsis as a pumping mechanism based on the presence of non-stationary compression sites that propagate uni-directionally along a tube without the need for a structurally fixed flow direction.


Author(s):  
Michael A. Tognarelli ◽  
Rene D. Gabbai ◽  
Mike Campbell

Field measurements of the response of a number of drilling risers indicate that vortex-induced vibration (VIV) occurs significantly less often than predicted by the industry-standard fatigue analysis computer program SHEAR7 V4.4. Several comparisons to model tests and field data, including one published by BP and 2H in 2007 [1], demonstrate that this analysis program is generally quite conservative, given that VIV occurs. Furthermore, this conservatism does not take into account those situations in which VIV fatigue is predicted but none is observed in the field, which adds yet another layer of “hidden” conservatism to design analyses. In an effort to address this and reduce conservatism to a more appropriate level, the probability of occurrence of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) is examined using full-scale measured data. The data has been collected over the past several years from five drilling risers without VIV suppression devices. These risers are on rigs under contract to BP at high-current-susceptible sites worldwide. Collectively, the data correspond to 9,600 10-minute field measurements, equivalent to 0.18 years of continuous monitoring. The riser response is obtained from motion loggers placed at selected positions along the riser as described in [1]. Each logger measures 3D accelerations and 2D angular rates. Through-depth currents are measured via Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP). By comparison of measurements to computer predictions based on the observed current profile, a relationship is developed between the intensity of the fatigue damage predicted and the probability that VIV is observed in the field. Subsequently, an approach is proposed for scaling analysis predictions to reflect the relative likelihood of VIV. The database of measured and SHEAR7 maximum predicted fatigue damage rates is statistically characterized to determine how it may be used to determine factors of safety (FOS) for VIV design. A worked example for a deepwater drilling riser in the GoM is used to show how the FOS methodology can be applied in the case of multiple design currents each with a different annual probability of occurrence.


1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.-H. Kim ◽  
J. K. Vandiver ◽  
R. Holler

The vortex-induced vibration response of long cables subjected to vertically sheared flow was investigated in two field experiments. In a typical experiment, a weight was hung over the side of the research vessel by a cable that was instrumented with accelerometers. A typical experiment measured the acceleration response of the cable, the current profile, the tension, and angle of inclination at the top of the cable. Total drag force was computed from the tension and angle measurements. Two braided Kevlar cables were tested at various lengths from 100 to 9,050 ft. As a result of these experiments, several important conclusions can be drawn: (i) the wave propagation along the length of the cable was damped, and therefore, under most conditions the cable behaved like an infinite string; (ii) response spectra were quite broad-band, with center frequencies determined by the flow speed in the region of the accelerometer; (iii) single mode lock-in was not observed for long cables in the sheared current profile; (iv) the average drag coefficient of long cables subjected to sheared flow was considerably lower than observed on short cables in uniform flows; (v) the r.m.s. response was higher in regions of higher current speed. A new dimensionless parameter is proposed that incorporates the properties of the cable as well as the sheared flow. This parameter is useful in establishing the likelihood that lock-in may occur, as well as in estimating the number of modes likely to respond.


2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Ameur ◽  
Christian Masson

A numerical analysis of the effects of sloped terrain on the reading of a nacelle anemometer is investigated. Simulations of the turbulent flow around a 2.5 MW wind turbine in an atmospheric boundary layer are made by resolving 3D RANS equations. In addition to flat terrain, four escarpments (at slopes of 7.5%, 11%, 14%, and 20%) are studied for various inlet velocities in three cases: terrains with no wind turbine, with nonoperating turbines and with operating turbines. The slope of the ground has two major effects on flow: speed-up and an increase in flow inclination. The presence of the nacelle enhances the flow speed-up caused by the escarpment, especially outside the anemometer’s position. However, the horizontal velocity at the location of the anemometer tends to decrease with increasing ground slope. This trend is due in large part to the nacelle wake. This disturbed area is characterized by the presence of separated flow and two opposing vortices which are sensitive to the flow inclination. The evaluated nacelle transfer function is influenced by the terrain slope but this sensitivity is reduced by displacing the position of the anemometer upward the nacelle body.


2011 ◽  
Vol 441 (1) ◽  
pp. 463-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Hilaire ◽  
Olivier Lucas ◽  
Jean Valmier ◽  
Frédérique Scamps

The T-type Ca2+ channel Cav3.2 is expressed in nociceptive and mechanosensitive sensory neurons. The mechanosensitive D-hair (down-hair) neurons, which innervate hair follicles, are characterized by a large-amplitude Cav3.2 T-current involved in the amplification of slow-moving stimuli. The molecules and signalling pathways that regulate T-current expression in mechanoreceptors are unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of NT-4 (neurotrophin-4) on Cav3.2 T-current expression in D-hair neurons in vitro. Interruption of the supply of NT-4 with peripheral nerve axotomy induced a non-transcriptional decrease in the T-current amplitude of fluorogold-labelled axotomized sensory neurons. The T-current amplitude was restored by incubation with NT-4. Deletion of NT-4 through genetic ablation resulted in a similar selective loss of the large-amplitude T-current in NT-4−/− sensory neurons, which was rescued by the addition of NT-4. NT-4 had no effect on the T-current in Cav3.2−/− D-hair neurons. Neither the biophysical properties of the T-current nor the transcript expression of Cav3.2 were modified by NT-4. Pharmacological screening of signalling pathways activated under the high-affinity NT-4 receptor TrkB (tropomyosin receptor kinase B) identified a role for PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) in the potentiation of T-current. The results of the present study demonstrate the post-transcriptional up-regulation of the Cav3.2 T-current through TrkB activation and identify NT-4 as a target-derived factor that regulates the mechanosensitive function of D-hair neurons through expression of the T-current.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Zhou ◽  
Vesselina Roussinova ◽  
Vesselin Stoilov

Abstract This paper investigates the performance of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) energy harvester in low-speed water flow. The proposed VIV harvester is extracting hydrokinetic energy from the flowing current and transferring it into mechanical vibrations. The vibrations are further converted into electrical energy using the piezoelectric transducer to supply the modern demand for energy-consumption. To meet the demand, the single harvester is analyzed to determine the suitable geometry for the bluff body that is sensitive to the low-speed flow. Furthermore, the converter must be able to harvest vibrations of varying amplitudes and frequencies. To maximize the power output, different array configurations of multiple bluff bodies are examined. A single positively buoyant elastically mounted cylinder is tested experimentally and at a low flow speed of 0.3 m/s, it can harvest vibrations with an average frequency of 1.8 Hz and peak to peak amplitude of 1.5d, where d is the diameter of the bluff body. It was found that for an array consisting of ten bluff bodies, the average frequency and peak to peak amplitude increases to 2.09Hz and 1.54d, respectively.


2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (230) ◽  
pp. 1194-1206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin G. Wearing ◽  
Richard C.A. Hindmarsh ◽  
M. Grae Worster

AbstractWe investigate the relationship between four ice-shelf characteristics in the area close to the calving front: ice flow speed, strain rate, ice thickness and shelf width. Data are compiled for these glaciological parameters at the calving fronts of 22 Antarctic ice shelves. Clarification concerning the viscous supply of ice to the calving front is sought following the empirical calving law of Alley and others (2008), derived from a similar but smaller dataset, and the scaling analysis of Hindmarsh (2012). The dataset is analysed and good agreement is observed between the expected theoretical scaling and geophysical data for the flow of ice near the calving front in the case of ice shelves that are laterally confined and have uniform rheology. The lateral confinement ensures flow is aligned in the along-shelf direction, and uniform rheological parameters mean resistance to flow is provided by near-stationary ice in the grounded margins. In other cases, the velocity is greater than predicted, which we attribute to marginal weakening or the presence of ice tongues.


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