Pitch and Mass Ratio Effects on Transverse and Streamwise Fluidelastic Instability in Parallel Triangular Tube Arrays

Abstract

The simple tube and channel theoretical model for fluidelastic instability (FEI) in tube arrays, as developed by Hassan and Weaver, has been used to study the effects of pitch ratio and mass ratio on the critical velocity of parallel triangular tube arrays. Simulations were carried out considering fluidelastic forces in the lift and drag directions independently and acting together for cases of a single flexible tube in a rigid array and a fully flexible kernel of seven tubes. No new empirical data were required using this model. The direction of FEI as well as the relative importance of fluid coupling of tubes was studied, including how these are affected by tube pitch ratio and mass ratio. The simulation predictions agree reasonably well with available experimental data. It was found that parallel triangular tube arrays are more vulnerable to streamwise FEI when the pitch ratio is small and the mass-damping parameter (MDP) is large.