Flow Induced Excitation on basic shape structures

The study of flow-induced excitation on structures and obstacles is one of the main topics of fluid dynamics related to the practical interests in a large number of engineering applications e.g. aerodynamic, mechanical, civil, naval, etc. New design and project techniques have offered hazardous solutions, resulting in structures that are even more slender and flexible. This has led to a number of situations of self-excited vibration due to the interaction between flow fields and structures. Forces coming from this mechanism depend upon both the incoming flow and the structure motion, giving rise to a strong non-conservative force field, which may eventually lead to a growing structure motion. The aim of this chapter is to offer an overture about the phenomenon of the fluid–structure interaction. Because of the importance that the cylindrical and spherical shapes have in the practical applications and the generalizations that these shapes allow, in this chapter the fluid–structure interaction is mainly referred to these basic shapes.