Asymptotic analysis of a thin fluid layer-elastic plate interaction problem

We study the nonstationary flow of an incompressible fluid in a thin rectangle with an elastic plate as the upper part of the boundary. The flow is governed by a time-dependent pressure drop and an external force and it is modeled by Stokes equations. The dynamic of this fluid-structure interaction problem is studied in the limit when the thickness of the fluid domain tends to zero. Using the asymptotic techniques, we obtain for the effective plate displacement a sixth-order parabolic equation with a non standard boundary conditions. Results on existence, uniqueness and regularity of the solution are proved. The approximation is justified through a weak convergence theorem.