The validity of the independence principle applied to the vortex-induced vibration of an inclined cylinder in steady flow

•Numerical simulations of VIV of an inclined cylinder are free of end effects by using the periodic boundary condition.•The response of the cylinder follows the independence principle (IP) well.•The response amplitudes and frequencies in right attack angle case are close to their counterparts at 45° attack angle cases.

The validity of the independence principle applied to the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of an inclined cylinder in steady flow is investigated by conducting numerical simulations. In order to create a perfect end-effect-free condition, periodic boundary condition is applied on the two end boundaries that are perpendicular to the cylinder. It is found that the response amplitude and frequency for an inclination angle of α = 45° agree well with their counterparts for α = 0°. The numerical results demonstrated the validity of the independence principle in the case of vortex-induced vibration, which has not been demonstrated by laboratory tests due to the difficulty in avoiding the end effects.