Vibration of Flexible Tube Induced by Steady Flow of Emulsions

The vibration of a flexible tube induced by the steady flow of emulsion is studied experimentally. The emulsion is used as a substitute for blood because it has a similar property to blood. The vibration of the flexible tube and flow rate through it are measured using a highly sensitive gap sensor and an electromagnetic flowmeter, respectively. In addition, theoretical investigation based on the transverse vibration theory is performed. The results are summarized as follows. (1) The emulsion has the effect of decreasing the amplitude of vibration of the flexible tube in a high flow rate region. (2) The transverse vibration theory is effective for evaluating the frequency of dominant vibration mode. However, the reliability of this method becomes poor with decrease in the stiffness of flexible tube.