Snap-through dynamics of tandem flexible sheets in a uniform flow

Abstract

There has been increasing interest recently in the design of smart systems based ons elastic structure. Among such structures, buckled elastic sheets in which both edges are clamped have attracted much attention because they exhibit novel dynamic behavior, namely, periodic snap-through. In this study, the dynamic responses of tandem snap-through models in a uniform flow are investigated experimentally. The critical velocity at which they commence periodic snapping motion from the equilibrium state is examined by varying the gap distance and the initial buckled shape of the tandem sheets. The dynamics of the two sheets, such as their frequency and phase difference, are studied in the case where the sheets undergo oscillating motion. Regardless of the gap distance, they exhibit limited snapping shapes that are quite different from those of flag models. Accordingly, the bending energy of the sheets has almost the same value independent of gap distance. This provides valuable insight of relevance to the design of tandem energy harvesting systems based on multiple snap-through models.