A filament flapping in the bow wake of a rigid body is considered in order to study the hydrodynamic interaction between flexible and rigid bodies in tandem arrangement. Both numerical and experimental methods are adopted to analyze the motion of the filament, and the drag force on both bodies is computed. It is shown that the results largely depend on the gap between the two objects and the Reynolds number. The flexible body may have larger vibration amplitude but meanwhile experience a reduced drag force. On the other hand, the trailing rigid body enjoys a drag reduction. The qualitative behavior of the filament is independent of the filament’s length and mass ratio or the shape of the rigid body for the parameter regime considered. The result is in contrast with the interaction between two rigid or two flexible objects in tandem arrangement, and it may provide a physical insight into the understanding of the aquatic animals swimming in the bow wake of ships or staying in the bow wake of stationary structures.

• Received 11 February 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.82.026301