The lowest Reynolds number of vortex-induced vibrations

Abstract

It is well known that the occurrence of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) at a subcritical Reynolds number, which is lower than 47, is induced by fluid-structure interaction. However, for the free flow, this phenomenon disappears at a Reynolds number about 20. The current study provides an explanation to the disappearance of the VIV by capturing the evolution of the purely fluid modes at Reynolds numbers between 12 and 55. To ensure accurate mode extraction, the dynamic mode decomposition technique is utilized. Results show that the stable von Kármán vortex shedding mode exists in a subcritical flow regime but becomes less distinct as the Reynolds number decreases. When the Reynolds number is lower than 18, this mode nearly vanishes, characterizing the lower boundary of fluid-structure instability.