Fluid-elastic Instability in a Tube Array Subjected to Two-Phase Cross Flow

Experiments have been performed to investigate fluid-elastic instability of tube bundles, subjected to two-phase cross flow. Fluid-elastic is the most important vibration excitation mechanism for heat exchanger tube bundles subjected to the cross flow. The test section consists of cantilevered flexible cylinder(s) and rigid cylinders of normal square array. From a practical design point of view, fluid-elastic instability may be expressed simply in terms of dimensionless flow velocity and dimensionless mass-damping parameter. For dynamic instability of cylinder rows, added mass, damping and the threshold flow velocity are evaluated. The Fluid-elastic instability coefficient is calculated and then compared to existing results given for tube bundles in normal square array.