Cross-flow-induced instability and nonlinear dynamics of cylinder arrays with consideration of initial axial load

The instability and nonlinear dynamics of planar motions of a cylinder array subjected to cross-flow have been studied via a five-mode discretization of the governing partial differential equation, focusing on the effect of initial axial load externally imposed on the cylinder. Theoretical results based on a stability analysis have indicated that, with increasing initial axial load and flow velocity, the system may lose stability either via flutter or via buckling. The boundaries of these two forms of instability are predicted analytically. To explore the post-instability dynamics of the system, a Runge–Kutta scheme is used to solve the nonlinear governing equation of motion. Three typical behaviors, including limit cycle motions of the system, are obtained. It is shown that, for relatively low flow velocity, with increasing initial axial load, just beyond the pitchfork bifurcation the cylinder would settle in a buckled equilibrium position; and for high flow velocity, however, this phenomenon only occurs when the initial axial load becomes sufficiently large.