Viscous flutter of a finite elastic membrane in Poiseuille flow

Flow-induced vibration in a collapsible tube is relevant to many biomedical applications including the human respiratory system. This paper presents a linear analysis of the coupling between Poiseuille flow and a tensioned membrane of finite length using an eigenvalue approach. The undisturbed state of the channel flow is perfectly parallel. To some extent, this configuration bridges the g ap between two types of theoretical models: one for the travelling-wave flutter in an infinite, flexible channel, and the other for the self-induced oscillation of a collapsing section of a Starling-resistor tube. In our study, we focus on the parameter range where the wall-to-fluid mass ratio is high (100), and the Reynolds number based on the maximum flow velocity in the channel is moderately high (200). Eigenmodes representing both static divergence and flutter are found. Particular attention is paid to the energetics of flutter modes. It is shown that energy transfer from the flow to the membrane occurs as a result of unstable, downstream-travelling waves, while the upstream-travelling waves are stable and release most of the transferred energy back to the flow. Coupling between different in vacuo modes offers another view of the origin of energy transfer. In addition, an energy conservation analysis similar to the one used in aeroacoustics is carried out. It is shown that terms directly proportional to fluid viscosity contribute most to the production of fluctuation energy, leading to a special type of dynamic instability which resembles both Tollmien-Schlichting instability in the sense that the fluid viscosity destabilises, and traditional travelling wave flutter since the structural damping plays the role of stabilising. Effects of the membrane mass, length and structural damping are also studied. The characteristics of the membrane flutter are found to depend crucially on the upstream and downstream boundary conditions. (C) 2001 Academic Press.