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The flapping dynamics of an inverted plate in a uniform flow has been widely used to study the energy harvesting system stability and efficiency. Different motion modes have been observed in previous numerical studies when the plate vibrates freely without any obstacles in proximity. This paper uses immersed boundary method (IBM) to numerically study the wall effect on the flapping motion of an inverted plate, investigate the effect of the Reynolds number, the flexibility and wall distance, and relevant symmetric/asymmetric flow patterns, research the influence of vortex generating and shedding to the force change, explore the key distance to the wall and reveal the mechanism of different modes. Three vibration modes: straight, flapping and deflected will be affected differently by the distance to the wall. The maximum mean strain energy is also found at a certain distance. Such research could theoretically support the development energy harvesting system.

fluid-structure interaction; immersed boundary method; vortex-induced vibration