Two-way fluid-structure coupling in vibration and damping analysis of an oscillating hydrofoil

Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) and unavoidable vibrations are important characteristics in the operation of hydropower structures and must be taken into account in the analysis and design of such equipment. Hydrodynamic damping influences the amplitude of vibrations and is directly related to fatigue problems in hydraulic machines which are of great importance. The aim of this study is to investigate the coupled effects of flowing fluid on a simplified hydrofoil by using three-dimensional two-way fluid-structure interaction modeling, in order to determine its importance in predicting vibration amplitudes and damping. The effect of considering different flow velocities is also investigated in the present study. The results of this research are compared with those obtained from experiments done by ANDRITZ [1]. The influences of mesh size and time step are also studied. Our results indicate that considering FSI in predicting the frequencies of the fluctuating fluid forces in practical problems might be ignored if the main concern of the analysis is to check the possibility of resonance. However, FSI must be included in the modeling when we aim to predict the influence of the fluid on the damping behavior in the hydrofoil vibration.</jats:p