Dynamics of flexible slender cylinders in axial flow Part 2. Experiments

The experiments described here were designed to illustrate the dynamical behaviour of flexible cylinders in axial flow theoretically examined in Part 1. Rubber cylinders, either clamped or pinned at the upstream end and free at the other, or pinned at both ends, displayed both buckling and oscillatory instabilities when immersed in flowing water of sufficiently high velocity. The conditions of neutral stability were determined in a number of cases and compared with theory. The observations were in substantial agreement with the theory.