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Research in Vortex Dynamics and Fluid-Structure Interactions
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Affiliated Faculty:
Jane Wang,
Charles Williamson
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Fluid-structure interactions are of current interest due to the interest in
extremely low-mass and/or low-damping structures. Research in this area involves
study of the dynamics of structures, which are induced to vibrate and resonate due to the
pressure field coming from the wake vortices behind the structure. The fluid-structure
interaction is most dramatic when there is a resonance between the fluid vortex frequency and the structural
natural frequency.
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The Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940, not too long before collapse caused by wind-induced resonant torsion.
This is perhaps the most dramatic evidence of failure to account for fluid-structure interactions. |
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Trajectory (left) and flowfield (right) for a falling piece of paper.
(Courtesy Umberto Pesavento and
Jane Wang)
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Research at Cornell in fluid-structure interactions has focused on resonances of low-mass
and low-damping systems and has highlighted novel aspects of the resonant response of
structural systems as a function of flow velocity. Fluid-structure interactions of biological interest
(e.g., leaf dynamics) are
also currently under investigation.
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