Fluid–solid interaction on a thin platelet with high-velocity flow: vibration modelling and experiment

The paper concerns the nonlinear behaviour of a thin platelet that is streamlined in an aerodynamic tunnel. The air velocity in the aerodynamic tunnel was at 858.9 km/h or 0.7 Ma (Ma—Mach number is a dimensionless quantity in fluid dynamics representing the ratio of flow velocity past a boundary to the local speed of sound). This experiment was numerically simulated using FSI (fluid–solid interaction) tools, namely the coupling between the strength and flow code. The strength code uses the finite element method, while the flow code is based on the finite volume method. The coupling between the codes was made by means of an interface that transmitted the relevant data and results between the two codes. The paper discusses the methodology of this coupling. The study also highlights the phenomena occurring during the interaction of flow with the plate with emphasis on their nonlinear character.