Vortex-Induced Vibrations on a curved path

We present the results of a series of experiments on vortex-induced vibrations of a cylinder that is free to oscillate on a curved path perpendicular to the direction of the incoming flow. We conducted these experiments in a re-circulating water tunnel and measured the oscillation amplitudes and frequencies. We also visualized the cylinder's wake using bubble image velocimetry. We conducted these experiments for different values of the radius of curvature and over a range of reduced velocities. We observed that at low radii of curvature, oscillations are suppressed, and at a critical radius of curvature, maximum amplitude of oscillations is obtained. We also show that the lock-in range, the amplitude of oscillations and the wake of the cylinder depend on whether the cylinder oscillates on a concave or a convex path.