Divergence instability of variable-arc-length elastica pipes transporting fluid

A flexible elastic pipe transporting fluid is held by an elastic rotational spring at one end, while at the other end, a portion of the pipe may slide on a frictional support. Regardless of the gravity loads, when the internal how velocity is higher than the critical velocity, large displacements of static equilibrium and divergence instability can be induced. This problem is highly nonlinear. Based on the inextensible elastica theory, it is solved herein via the use of elliptic integrals and the shooting method. Unlike buckling with stable branching of a simply supported elastica pipe with constant length, the variable are-length elastica pipe buckles with unstable branching. The friction at the support has an influence in shifting the critical locus over the branching point. Alteration of the flow history causes jumping between equilibrium paths due to abrupt changes of direction of the support friction. The elastic rotational restraint brings about unsymmetrical bending configurations; consequently, snap-throughs and snap-backs can occur on odd and even buckling modes, respectively. From the theoretical point of view, the equilibrium configurations could be formed like soliton loops due to snapping instability. (C) 2000 Academic Press.