A Perturbation Method for Low-Frequency Fluid-Structure Interaction Problems

Abstract

Perturbation methods have been used for electromagnetic scattering and diffraction problems in recent years. A similar method suitable for low-frequency fluid-structure interaction problems is presented. The essence of the method lies in the fact that approximate solutions for fluid-structure interaction problems can be obtained from a set of Poisson’s equations, rather than from the reduced wave equation. The method is particularly useful for those problems where the Poisson’s equation may be solved by the method of separation of variables while the reduced wave equation cannot. As an illustrative example, the vibrations of a submerged spherical shell is studied using the perturbation method and the accuracy of the method is demonstrated.