Fluid-structure interaction of a flexible cantilever cylinder at low Reynolds numbers
Shayan Heydari, Neelesh A. Patankar, Mitra J. Z. Hartmann, Rajeev K. Jaiman
Abstract
Mammals such as rats and seals can sense their surroundings with their whiskers. This work examines the coupled dynamics of a flexible cantilever cylinder in the laminar subcritical Reynolds regime to pinpoint the underlying mechanism of flow-induced vibration in sensory whiskers. We find that when certain conditions are satisfied, the cylinder undergoes sustained oscillations due to the frequency lock-in phenomenon in this Reynolds regime. The knowledge generated through this work helps clarify the role of flow-induced vibrations in sensing via whiskers and has relevance to the development of innovative bio-inspired flow-sensing devices for next-generation robotic vehicles.