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Fluid-Structure Interactions
Cross-Flow-Induced Instabilities
Michael P. Padoussis, Stuart J. Price, Emmanuel de Langre
Book DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511760792
Online ISBN: 9780511760792
Hardback ISBN: 9780521119429
Paperback ISBN: 9781107652958

Chapter
Appendix A - The Multiple Scales Method pp. 359-360
Chapter DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511760792.010
Cambridge University Press

APPENDIX A

The Multiple Scales Method

This is not meant to be a formal treatment of the method, but rather an illustration
of its use on a simple problem, that of the Van der Pol oscillator, the equation of
motion of which may be written as
dx
d2 x
+ x = (1 x2 ) ,
dt2
dt

(A.1)

where  1; refer, e.g., to Nayfeh (1981).

Defining two timescales, that is an ordinary (fast) time and a slow time,
=t

and

= t ,

(A.2)

and expressing x = x(, ), we can write

dx
x d x d
x
x
=
+
=
+
,
dt
dt
dt

2
d2 x
2x
2x
2 x
+

=
+
2
.
dt2
2

(A.3)

Expanding x in a Lindstedt-type perturbation series,

x = x0 + x1 + 2 x2 +

(A.4)

and substituting into equation (A.1), we obtain

2
2
2
2 x0
2 x0
2 x1
2 x0
2 x1
3 x1
+

+
2
+

+
2
2

2
2

+ + x0 + x1 + 2 x2 +

2
x0

x0
x1
2
2 2
2 x1
+
+
+
+ .
= 1 x0 2x0 x1 x1 +

359

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511760792.010
Cambridge Books Online Cambridge University Press, 2015

360

Appendix A

Collecting terms in 0 and 1 , we obtain

2 x0
+ x0 = 0 ,
2

(A.5)

2
2 x1
2 x0 
2 x0
+
1

x
+
x
=
2
,
1
0
2

(A.6)

and similar equations for 2 , involving only x2 on the left-hand side, et seq.
Equation (A.5) yields the generating solution
x0 = A() cos + B() sin .

(A.7)

This solution embodies the fundamental character of the motion: it is not simple
harmonic in time but one whose amplitude changes slowly with time.
Substituting into (A.6), we obtain, after expanding powers of trigonometric
functions into simpler forms (e.g. cos3 = 14 (cos 3 + 3 cos )), we obtain


2 x1
+ x1 = 2A A + 14 A(A2 + B2 ) sin
2



+ 2B + B 14 B(A2 + B2 ) cos
+ 14 A(A2 3B2 ) sin 3 +

1
B(B2
4

3A2 ) cos 3 .

(A.8)

Eliminating the secular terms yields

A =

1
A 18 A(A2
2

+ B2 ),

B =

1
B 18 B(A2
2

+ B2 ) .

(A.9)

Introducing polar coordinates,

A = R cos

and

B = R sin ,

(A.10)

both of equations (A.9) become

R =

1
R
2

1
8

R3 ,

= 0 .

(A.11)

To obtain the amplitude of a putative limit cycle we set R = 0, and we obtain

R = 2 .

(A.12)

To study the stability of the limit cycle, we examine equation (A.11) and put
R = 2 + r. Linearizing about the limit cycle, we have r = [R 38 R2 r]r=2 = 12 r,
indicating a diminishing perturbation. Hence, the limit cycle is stable.
In the foregoing the analysis was carried out to only first order; the procedure is
similar if one pursues it to O(2 ) and higher, but it would yield more precise estimates
of the limit-cycle amplitude, as well as corrections to the frequency.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511760792.010
Cambridge Books Online Cambridge University Press, 2015