Experiments with flexible shrouds to reduce the vortex-induced vibration of a cylinder with low mass and damping

Experiments employing a low-mass-damping cylinder have been conducted to determine the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) response of four suppressors of the flexible-shroud family. The VIV suppressors were inspired in the concept of the Ventilated Trousers (VT), a flexible shroud composed of a flexible net fitted with three-dimensional bobbins. Reynolds number varied between 5 × 103 and 25 × 103, while reduced velocity varied from 2 to 26. The VIV dynamic response showed that the VT suppressed the peak amplitude of vibration down to 40% of that of a bare cylinder. Other flexible shrouds also achieved suppression, but not as efficiently. Drag was reduced during the VIV synchronization range, but remained above the value for a bare static cylinder thereafter. Spectral analysis of displacement and lift revealed that, depending on the geometry and distribution of the bobbins, the flexible shroud can develop an unstable behavior, capturing energy from the wake and sustaining vibrations for higher reduced velocities. PIV measurements of the wake revealed that the entrainment flow through the mesh is necessary to extend the vortex-formation length of the wake; this mechanism only occurs for the VT mesh.