Experimental study and numerical simulation on vortex-induced vibration of flexible riser

In order to study the effect of internal flow on vortex-induced vibration of flexible riser, the experiment on the vortex-induced vibration of flexible riser transporting fluid in the current was conducted in the physical oceanography laboratory of Ocean University of China. Considering the internal flowing fluid and external marine environment, the dynamic response of the flexible riser was measured. The corresponding numerical simulation was performed using the wake oscillatory model considering the extensibility of the riser system. Both the experiment and the numerical simulation indicated that with the increase of internal flow speed, the response amplitude increases, while the response frequency decreases.     

组合载荷作用下深海非粘结柔性管力学性能对比分析

建立深海非粘结柔性管新型力学数值分析模型,分析其在复合载荷工况下的力学性能。深海非粘结柔性立管是深水资源开发的关键设备,安装成本低,适用于恶劣深海环境。然而,由于非粘结柔性管本身的结构型式复杂以及层与层之间的摩擦、接触等诸多强非线性特性,使其局部力学性能分析面临众多挑战。研究针对非粘结柔性立管特殊的结构型式,建立一个高效的数值分析模型,对其刚度进行数值求解并与实验结果进行对比,探讨了内压和拉伸、扭转、弯曲的组合载荷工况和拉扭组合载荷工况对非粘结柔性立管刚度的影响。研究表明,本文所建立的简化模型计算结果与实验结果吻合较好。此外,柔性立管所受到的内压可以在一定程度上增加非粘结柔性立管的刚度;拉扭组合载荷工况使非粘结柔性立管的拉伸刚度降低明显,而使其扭转刚度少量增加,总体上较单一载荷工况更加危险。     

Experimental investigation of the effects of the coverage of helical strakes on the vortex-induced vibration response of a flexible riser

The effects of different helical strake coverage on the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a model flexible riser were studied experimentally, with the aim of further improving the understanding of VIV responses. Uniform and linearly sheared currents were simulated to study response parameters such as non-dimensional displacement, fatigue damage, suppression efficiency, and the comprehensive evaluation is further studied. Test results of the bare model for a uniform current showed that the behavior of both the standing wave and traveling wave dominated VIV displacement. However, for a linearly sheared current, traveling wave behavior dominated VIV displacement in the high-velocity range. The results of the straked model tests indicated that the response was strongly dependent upon the amount of coverage of helical strakes. The flexible riser with 75% strake coverage gave the best comprehensive evaluation in a uniform current, and 50% strake coverage gave the best comprehensive evaluation in a linearly sheared current.     

海洋立管试验支座设计及其对涡激振动影响研究

针对大长细比顶张力立管内外流共同作用时涡激振动的试验研究,考虑端部铰接和固接两种边界条件,设计了可施加张力和内流的铰接支座和固接支座,并对两种支座进行数值模拟及受力分析,最后用于深水立管的涡激振动试验。立管模型材料采用6.2 m长铜管,外径20 mm,壁厚1.5 mm,分别支撑在铰接支座和固接支座上,施加不同的顶部张力、外流流速和内流流速。通过在立管表面粘贴光纤光栅应变计获得动态应变数据,分别从动态响应幅值、频率等方面对不同边界条件立管的试验数据进行对比分析,得出在顶张力、内流速相同的情况下,外流速相等时两端铰接立管的振动幅值大于两端固接立管,随着外流速的增加,两端铰接立管比两端固接立管率先发生锁振现象。     

VIV response of a long flexible riser fitted with strakes in uniform and linearly sheared currents

An experimental investigation was conducted on a flexible riser with and without various strake arrangements. The aim of the present work was to further improve the understanding of the response performance of the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a riser with helical strakes. Two current profiles, including uniform and linearly sheared flows, were simulated. The uniform current was simulated by towing the riser model in one direction using the towing carriage, and the linearly sheared current was simulated by fixing one end of the riser and using a driven cantilever to traverse a circular arc. Based on the modal superposition method, the displacement responses were obtained from the measured strain. Strakes with different heights and pitches were analysed, and response parameters such as the displacement response and fatigue damage were studied. The results of the bare model test show that the lock-in phenomenon displays multi-order characteristics, and the VIV displacement decreases with an increased order of the lock-in regime. The results of the straked model test indicate that the response characteristics of a bare riser can be quite distinct from those of a riser with helical strakes, and the response performance depends closely on the geometry of the strake configuration.     

Experimental investigation of hull girder vibrations of a flexible backbone model in bending and torsion

Although the coupled horizontal–torsional vibrations of open ships have been investigated numerically for decades, the available experimental data in oblique seas seem rare. Model tests, considering natural frequencies of bending and torsional modes, have been conducted by the Centre for Ships and Ocean Structures (CeSOS) in the towing tank and ocean basin. A flexible backbone model was designed with five cut-outs on the top side of the aluminum beam to realize approximately torsional stiffness as well as vertical and horizontal bending stiffness. This paper mainly deals with measured bending and torsional vibrations in regular and irregular waves. The damping ratios, mode shapes, and modal moments were derived from experimental data, and a numerical model based on modal superimposition is established according to the measured hydroelastic properties. Some time-domain simulations are carried out considering the structural characteristics, and compared with measured results. The test data in regular waves are presented to show the possible factors of influence on the vibrations. The effect of bending and torsional vibrations on the extreme response values in irregular waves is estimated. The uncertainties in the experiments are discussed and conclusions are presented at the end of this paper.     

Hydroelastic analysis of flexible floating interconnected structures

Three-dimensional hydroelasticity theory is used to predict the hydroelastic response of flexible floating interconnected structures. The theory is extended to take into account hinge rigid modes, which are calculated from a numerical analysis of the structure based on the finite element method. The modules and connectors are all considered to be flexible, with variable translational and rotational connector stiffness. As a special case, the response of a two-module interconnected structure with very high connector stiffness is found to compare well to experimental results for an otherwise equivalent continuous structure. This model is used to study the general characteristics of hydroelastic response in flexible floating interconnected structures, including their displacement and bending moments under various conditions. The effects of connector and module stiffness on the hydroelastic response are also studied, to provide information regarding the optimal design of such structures.     

Forces on a pitching plate: An experimental and numerical study

A flat plate in pitching motion is considered as a fundamental source of locomotion in the general context of marine propulsion. The experimental as well as numerical investigation is carried out at a relatively small Reynold number of 2000 based on the plate length c and the inflow velocity U_∞. The plate oscillates sinusoidally in pitch about its 1/3 − c axis and the peak to peak amplitude of motion is 20°. The reduced frequency of oscillation k = πfc/U_∞ is considered as a key parameter and it may vary between 1 and 5. The underlying fluid-structure problem is numerically solved using a compact finite-differences Navier–Stokes solution procedure and the numerical solution is compared with Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the flow field around the pitching foil experimental device mounted in a water-channel. A good agreement is found between the numerical and experimental results and the threshold oscillation frequency beyond which the wake exhibits a reverse von Kármán street pattern is determined. Above threshold, the mean velocity in the wake exhibits jet-like profiles with velocity excess, which is generally considered as the footprint of thrust production. The forces exerted on the plate are extracted from the numerical simulation results and it is shown, that reliable predictions for possible thrust production can be inferred from a conventional experimental control volume analysis, only when besides the wake's mean flow the contributions from the velocity fluctuation and the pressure term are taken into account.     

钢悬链式立管与非线性海床土相互作用分析方法研究

对基于大挠度柔性梁理论的立管动力分析程序CABLE 3D改编,将原程序中立管受到线性海床的弹性支撑力扩充为立管受到的海床垂向力充分考虑管土非线性相互作用,使新程序中立管与海床土的相互作用遵循p-y曲线。采用伽辽金方法在空间内离散立管的动态方程,最终采用Newmark-β法进行时域内迭代求解。利用改编后的新程序分别研究了立管与线性海床土和非线性海床土相互作用的对比以及不同垂荡幅值情况下立管的动态响应。研究表明,非线性海床土能够更加准确地模拟真实的管土相互作用,触地点区域的节点会经历不同的管土相互作用过程。     

悬链线管体三维流场数值模拟研究

基于计算流体力学开源代码Open FOAM开展不同雷诺数(100≤Re≤3 900)下弯曲管体绕流流场三维数值模拟研究。对比分析不同雷诺数条件下弯曲管体的瞬时和时均流场特征,研究了弯曲管体不同位置处的时均压力系数和旋涡脱落频率。结果表明:当Re=100时,尾流中仅有展向涡存在;当300≤Re≤3 900时,流向涡出现且强度逐渐增加,展向涡减弱,随着局部曲率增大,沿弯管展向涡脱强度减小。随着雷诺数的增大,回流区沿流向的延伸尺度减小,但其沿展向的分布范围增大。沿弯管展向随着深度减小,前后驻点时均压力系数的绝对值递减,圆周时均压力系数变化幅度减小。在300≤Re≤3 900范围内,管体曲率会对展向涡脱频率产生一定影响。     

Vortex modes and vortex-induced vibration of a long,flexible riser

Investigations of the velocity and vorticity fields in the wake of a flexible riser with a length to diameter ratio of 181 were conducted in a towing tank at moderate Reynolds numbers in the range of 9400–47,000. Wake velocity measurements were made with the riser freely vibrating in both in-line and cross-flow directions. The motion and wake field of the riser, undergoing free vibration, were simultaneously measured by accelerometers installed inside the riser and by using a digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) system. The vortex-induced vibration (VIV) results show that the riser freely oscillated at multiple vibration frequencies and amplitudes at each Reynolds number. Mixed vortex modes, ‘2S’, ‘2P’ and ‘P+S’, were observed in the near wake of the riser at different instants of time. The occurrence of these vortex modes depended on the Reynolds number, dominant frequency and mean amplitude. At lower Reynolds number, the single stable mode ‘2S’ dominated the wake. With the increase of Reynolds number, the percentage of the ‘2S’ modes decreased while the percentage of ‘2P’ modes increased steadily except at Reynolds numbers of 14,100 and 47,000. The ‘P+S’ modes occurred mostly at a Reynolds number of 14,100 accompanied by more ‘2P’ modes and less ‘2S’ modes. At this Reynolds number, the frequency of the VIV was very close to the natural frequency of 0.72 Hz, which was obtained from a riser decay test in steady water and the average amplitude to diameter ratio reached 0.95, the highest found in these tests.     

Experimental studies on performances of flexible floating oil booms in coupled wave-current flow

Floating oil booms are commonly-adopted facility to collect spilled oil on sea surface, or to protect specific areas against oil slick spreading. In this study, 931 runs of laboratory test were carried out under wave-current coupling conditions to investigate hydrodynamic performances of the flexible floating oil boom. The tests first conducted a comparison on motion responses between the flexible floating boom and the rigid one to indicate the necessity of taking the flexibility of boom into consideration. Then a comprehensive analysis was carried out to investigate the effects of the ambient currents, waves and the boom characteristics of material stiffness, diameter of floater, length of skirt, and B/W (Buoyancy/Weight) ratio on the motion responses of the flexible floating booms. Finally, by taking the water blockage effect in front of the boom into consideration in the definition of boom effectiveness, the effective draft and freeboard were compared between the flexible boom and rigid one under fixed current and wave conditions. The effects of currents, waves, skirt lengths and B/W ratios on the effective draft and effective freeboard are assessed.     

Three-dimensional Lump-Mass formulation of a catenary riser with bending, torsion and irregular seabed interaction effect

A three-dimensional Lump-Mass formulation of a catenary riser, capable of handling irregular seabed interaction, with bending and torsional stiffness is presented in this paper. This formulation uses only three degrees of translational freedom and one independent torque variable for each computational node. The generality of the present formulation permits static and dynamic analyses of a wide range of offshore-related slender structure systems such as mooring cables, rigid and flexible risers as well as submarine pipelines. Four sets of results are presented for (i) a hanging catenary, (ii) as (i) but subjected to end torsion, (iii) a wire, chain and spring buoy mooring and (iv) a steel catenary riser on an irregular seabed.     

Mesoscale, seasonal and interannual variability in the Mediterranean Sea using a numerical ocean model

In this paper, we present the results from a 1/8° horizontal resolution numerical simulation of the Mediterranean Sea using an ocean model (DieCAST) that is stable with low general dissipation and that uses accurate control volume fourth-order numerics with reduced numerical dispersion. The ocean model is forced using climatological monthly mean winds and relaxation towards monthly climatological surface temperature and salinity. The variability of the circulation obtained is assessed by computing the volume transport through certain sections and straits where comparison with observations is possible. The seasonal variability of certain currents is reproduced in the model simulations. More important, an interannual variability, manifested by changes in currents and water mass properties, is also found in the results. This may indicate that the oceanic internal variability (not depending on external atmospheric forcing), is an important component of the total variability of the Mediterranean circulation; variability that seems to be very significant and well documented by in situ and satellite data recovered in the Mediterranean Sea during the last decade.     

Theoretical and experimental study on dynamic behavior of a damaged ship in waves

Most of the large scaled casualties are caused by loss of structural strength and stability due to the progressive flooding and the effect of waves and wind. To prevent foundering and structural failure, it is necessary to predict the motion of the damaged ship in waves.This paper describes the motion of damaged ship in waves resulting from a theoretical and experimental study. A time domain theoretical model, which can be applied to any type of ship or arrangement, for the prediction of damaged ship motion and accidental flooding has been developed considering the effects of flooding of compartments. To evaluate the accuracy of the model, model tests are carried out in ship motion basin for three different damaged conditions: engine room bottom damage, side shell damage and bow visor damage of Ro–Ro ship in regular and irregular waves with different wave heights and directions.     

基于材料非线性的两种海缆弯曲限制器的有限元分析与试验验证

海缆在使用过程中,受到洋流冲击及自身重量的影响,容易过度弯曲,从而影响海缆的寿命,造成经济损失。弯曲限制器是防止海缆过度弯曲的重要附件。文中建立海缆弯曲限制器A、B两种不同结构的模型,通过有限元模拟分析,比较在相同弯矩载荷下两种结构的锁紧弯曲半径及应力、应变情况,并通过试验验证两种结构的实际使用情况和模拟分析结果的一致性,为海缆弯曲限制器的优化改进提供了参考。计算结果表明:随着弯矩的增大,两种结构的锁定弯曲半径的变化趋势一致,但相同的弯曲半径下所能承受的载荷和两种结构曲率的平缓度有着较大的差异;在相同的应用环境下,B型结构能够更好地保护海缆,限制海缆的最小弯曲半径。     

Effects of the asymmetric riser and bilge keel arrangements on FPSO green water assessment

This article aims to report important findings on how the asymmetric riser and bilge keel arrangements affect the motion response and green water assessment by using a real FPSO conversion project. Recently, the authors have proposed a practical approach for short-term and long-term green water prediction. In this paper, the method has been further extended to include the effect of truncated bilge keel by using Morrison elements. Numerical studies are conducted focusing on the effect induced by asymmetric riser arrangement and truncated bilge keels. Comparisons of short-term and long-term results between different models indicate that the FPSO’s motion is significantly affected by asymmetrically arranged appendages and attachments in a complicated way. The relative wave elevation is also affected by appendages and attachments, but not the same trend as the motion response. The effect of the asymmetric arrangement of risers and bilge keel on long-term relative wave elevation response has been captured by both traditional contour line approach and response-based analysis, but some discrepancy identified between the results from the two methods indicates the limitation of the traditional contour line approach.     

Experimental validation of a CFD model using a narrow wave flume

Induced swell is characterized in an experimental wave flume that is used to validate the corresponding computational model. The experiments and the numerical simulations are performed in water at several depths (h [m] of 0.2, 0.1, and 0.07), using a piston-type wave maker at set amplitudes (0.015 < A_p [m] < 0.15), accelerations-decelerations (0.3 < a_p < 1.0) and average velocities (0.03 < U [m/s] < 0.3) that control the propagation velocity, the period and the wavelength of the waves. The physical effects are modelled with a 2D computational model (STAR-CCM + v11.02) with a mesh of around 630,000 cells of different adaptive sizes, depending on the region under consideration. The physical model is based on a two-phase Eulerian “Volume of Fluid” unsteady model, accounting for gravity and surface tension, that characterizes turbulence with a k-ε model. A user-defined function, based on the period and the amplitude of the vertical paddle in the wave maker, describes the cyclic motion of the linear induction motor. Both the experimental and the computational results are analyzed taking the validity limits of various wave theories as a reference (Le Méhauté). As a result, the experiments are classified within the intermediate water depth regime that corresponds to the second-order Stokes’ wave theory. In addition, both the wave propagation velocity and the period are represented as a function of the wavelength and compared with the analytical solutions from the wave theories. The experimental and the computational test campaign yielded results that confirmed the validity of the computational model and that defined the most appropriate conditions for a high-quality CFD simulation.     

深海采矿立管在波流载荷下的弯矩响应分析

采矿立管是深海采矿系统的重要组成部分，立管的弯矩分析是确保立管正常使用的重要指标。立管所处海洋环境复杂，且立管底部的自由边界条件使得立管弯矩特性难以分析。本文基于波浪理论，使用Abaqus 有限元软件建立海洋采矿立管的模型，运用Abaqus中的AQUA海洋工程模块，考虑立管在轴向力、自重、浮力、波浪载荷、海流载荷及模拟海上平台水平和升沉运动共同作用下，对采矿立管进行弯矩分析，计算了提升泵不同安装位置、不同中继仓重量变化对弯矩的影响，结果表明：提升泵会增大安装位置的弯矩幅度，且安装在不同位置对立管弯矩会产生叠加影响；中继仓重量的增加提高了立管整体稳定性，但会使提升泵处弯矩波动产生向中部延伸的不利影响。     

Experimental and numerical study on vortex-induced motions of a deep-draft semi-submersible

An experimental study on vortex-induced motions (VIM) of a deep-draft semi-submersible (DDS) was carried out in a towing tank, with the aim to investigate the VIM effects on the overall hydrodynamics of the structure. In order to study the fluid physics associated with VIM of the DDS, a comprehensive numerical simulation was conducted to examine the characteristics of vortex shedding processes and their interactions due to multiple cylindrical columns. The experimental measurements were obtained for horizontal plane motions including transverse, in-line and yaw motions as well as drag and lift forces on the structure. Spectral analysis was further carried out based on the recorded force time history. These data were subsequently used to validate the numerical model. Detailed numerical results on the vortex flow characteristics revealed that during the “lock-in”, the vortex shedding processes of the upstream columns enhance the vortex shedding processes of the downstream columns leading to the rapid increase of the magnitude of VIM. In addition to the experimental measurements, for the two uniform flow incidences (0° and 45°) investigated, comprehensive numerical data of the parametric study on the VIM characteristics at a wide range of current strength will also serve as quality benchmarks for future study and provide guidance for practical design.