A bluff structure placed in a flowing fluid, may be subjected to vortex-induced vibrations (VIV). For a flat plate with only rotational degree of freedom, the VIV is rotational oscillation. Based on the experimental investigation, vortex-induced oscillation of the plate is studied. The Strouhal number is measured from the stationary plate in a low speed steady wind tunnel. A set of vibration tests are conducted to investigate the relationships between shedding frequency and vibration frequency. “lock-in” phenomena is observed with and without large amplitude. An empiricalanalytical model via introducing a nonlinear van der Pol oscillator is developed. This thesis investigates the “lock-in” phenomena of a flat plate in pitch oscillation. Results from wind tunnel experiments on a flat plate indicate the “lock-in” is frequency “lock-in”, resonance which appears large response amplitude occurs in the “lock-in” regime and may be influenced by “lock-in” phenomena.

In the flow past bluff bodies for a certain range of velocity a periodical vortex shedding emerges which is known as von Kármán vortex street. This phenomenon causes the periodical alteration of pressure field which affects the body. Should the vortex shedding frequency be similar to the body natural frequency, the amplitude of vibration significantly increases which can lead to fatigue cracking. In the case of water turbines, this phenomenon often affects the stay vanes. Both the vortex shedding frequency and the lift force amplitude can be influenced by the modification of the trailing edge geometry. The aim of this thesis is to use CFD computation in order to find the optimal geometry of the stay vane trailing edge for the specific Francis turbine unit.

Splitter plates are passive flow control devices for reducing drag and suppressing vortex shedding from bluff bodies. Most studies of splitter plates involve the flow around an “infinite” circular cylinder, however, in the present study the flow around a surface-mounted finite-height circular cylinder, with a wake-mounted splitter plate, was studied experimentally in a low-speed wind tunnel using a force balance and single-component hot-wire anemometry. Four circular cylinders of aspect ratios AR = 9, 7, 5 and 3 were tested for a Reynolds number range of Re = 1.9×10^4 to 8.2×10^4. The splitter plates had lengths, relative to the cylinder diameter, of L/D = 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5 and 7, thicknesses ranging from T/D = 0.10 and 0.15, and were the same height as the cylinder being tested. The cylinders were partially immersed in a flat-plate turbulent boundary layer, where the range of boundary layer thickness relative to the cylinder diameter was δ/D = 1.4 to 1.5. Measurements were made of the mean drag force coefficient, the Strouhal number at the mid-height position, and the Strouhal number and power spectra along the cylinder height. For all four finite circular cylinders, the splitter plates were effective at reducing the magnitude of the Strouhal number, and weakening or even suppressing vortex shedding, depending on the specific combination of AR and L/D. Compared to the case of an infinite circular cylinder, the splitter plate is less effective at reducing the mean drag force coefficient of a finite circular cylinder. The largest drag reduction was obtained for the cylinder of AR = 9 and splitter plates of L/D = 1 to 3, while negligible drag reduction occurred for the shorter cylinders.