Research on the vortex induced vibration of a U-shaped rubber structure based on co-simulation method

The fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis of the vortex induced vibration (VIV) of a U-shaped rubber structure under aerodynamic load is carried out by a co-simulation using STAR-CCM+ and Abaqus. Numerical results are verified by the wind tunnel tests. The three-dimensional unsteady viscous incompressible k-ω turbulence model is used in the flow field simulation. And the dynamic implicit elastic linear model is used to study the influence of different air velocities on the deformation and vibration of the U-shaped rubber structure. The vibration frequency of the U-shaped rubber structure, and its relationship with the frequency of the vortex are analyzed. Results show that the U-shaped rubber structure is subjected to aerodynamic load that produces bending deformations proportional to the wind speed. The vibration frequency of the bending deformation is close to the first-order natural frequency. When the aerodynamic force, the elastic force, and the inertial force of the structure tend to balance, the air vortex over the structure makes the structure vibrate continuously. But the vibration of the U-shaped rubber structure is only forced by the vortex detachment, i.e., the vibration frequency coincides with the vortex frequency, above a wind speed threshold.