by Barthelemy Roger Lekoa¹*, Lionel Merveil Anague Tabejieu¹ ², Marina Aude Nguessom Foadieng¹, Nelson Kevin Foadieng Fokam³, Valéry Claude Abbe Ngayihi¹
¹Laboratory of Mechanics and Materials, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Higher Polytechnic School of Douala, University of Douala, P.O Box 2701, Douala, Cameroon.
²Laboratory of Modelling and Simulation in Engineering, Biomimetics and Prototypes and TWAS research unit, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
³Laboratory of Mechanics and Materials, Department of Civil Engineering, National Higher Polytechnic School of Douala, University of Douala, P.O Box 2701, Douala, Cameroon.
*Corresponding author:[email protected]
Received: 26.01.2026 Accepted: 02.05.2026 Published online: 09.07.2026
| Pipelines conveying pulsating fluids are prone to complex vibration phenomena that may compromise their structural stability and reduce their service life. This study investigates the nonlinear dynamic behavior of a simply supported pipeline conveying a fluid with time-dependent velocity. Both the uncontrolled configuration and the configuration equipped with a vibration controller are considered. The governing equations are derived using the generalized Hamiltonian variational principle, Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, and von Kármán nonlinear strain–displacement relations. The critical mean flow velocities associated with the first and second vibration modes are determined, and their influence on the temporal displacement response of the pipeline is analyzed. A nonlinear energy sink is then introduced as a passive vibration control device to reduce the transverse vibration amplitude of the system. The results show that, for mean flow velocities below the critical value, the pipeline vibrates around a stable equilibrium point, whereas velocities equal to or greater than the critical value led to vibrations around an unstable equilibrium point. The proposed vibration controller reduces the vibration amplitude by 51%, thereby improving the dynamic stability of the pipeline. However, a dedicated stability analysis remains necessary to identify optimal controller parameters for enhanced vibration attenuation. |
