The Effect of Platen Fins on the Flow-Induced Vibrations of an In-Line Tube Array

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the effect of streamwise “platen” fins on the fluidelastic instability of an in-line tube array. The fins are fixed parallel to the axis of the tubes in the streamwise direction and effectively prevent any transverse flow between streamwise tube rows. A geometrically identical, dynamically scaled bundle of finless tubes were used as a datum case for comparison. The results showed that, while the fins eliminate vortex shedding, they enhance the fluidelastic coupling between adjacent tubes and substantially reduce the stability threshold.