Nonlinear three-dimensional oscillations of elastically constrained fluid conveying viscoelastic tubes with perfect and broken O(2)-symmetry

The loss of the stability of the trivial downhanging equilibrium position of a slender circular tube conveying incompressible fluid flow is studied. The tube is clamped at its upper end and is free at its lower end. Inbetween, the three-dimensional transversal motion is constrained by an elastic support considered to be rotationally symmetric. Tube equations valid for large displacement but small strain based on Kirchhoff's rod theory and the Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic law are used.The stability analysis is performed by making use of the methods of the equivariant bifurcation theory; that is, but using the symmetry properties of the original system to drrive the amplitude equations of the critical modes. Two different types of results are given: First, for the perfect O(2)-symmetric system all three generic coincident eigenvalue cases of loss of stability in two-parameter families. Second, for the system with broken O(2)-symmetry due to imperfections, three special cases of loss of stability at simple eigenvalues.