Stability of flexible slender cylinders in pulsatile axial flow

Abstract A theoretical analysis is presented of the dynamical behaviour of flexible cylinders in axial flow, the velocity of which is perturbed harmonically in time. It is found that parametric instabilities are possible for certain ranges of frequencies and amplitudes of the perturbations. These instabilities occur over specific ranges of flow velocities, and in the case of cantilevered cylinders are associated with only some of the modes of the system.