A Numerical Investigation on the Dynamics of Two-Dimensional Cantilevered Flexible Plates in Axial Flow

Abstract

A cantilevered plate immersed in an otherwise uniform flow may lose stability at a high enough flow velocity; flutter takes place when the flow velocity exceeds a critical value. In the current research, a nonlinear equation of motion of the plate is developed using the inextensibility condition. Also, an unsteady lumped vortex model is used to calculate the pressure difference across the plate. The pressure difference is then decomposed into a lift force and an inviscid drag force. The fluid loads are coupled with the plate equation of motion and a numerical model of the fluid-structure system is developed. Analysis of the system dynamics is carried out in the time-domain. Both the stability and the post-critical behaviour of the system are studied. The flutter boundary and the vibration modes predicted by the current theory are found to be in good agreement with published experimental data.