Hydrodynamic Coefficients From In-Line VIV Experiments

Author(s):  
Kristoffer H. Aronsen ◽  
Carl Martin Larsen ◽  
Kim Mo̸rk

For subsea pipelines installed in areas with uneven seabed free spans may occur and fatigue failure due to vortex induced vibrations (VIV) is one of the main concerns related to these spans. In order to install pipelines in such areas the safety against fatigue failure from in-line (IL) and cross-flow (CF) VIV must be documented. Although maximum oscillation amplitudes in the IL direction are considerably smaller than the maximum amplitudes in the CF direction, the IL fatigue damage normally prevails and may limit the allowable span length. The reason for this is that the IL vibrations initiate at a lower current velocity (i.e., reduced velocity) than the CF vibrations and would hence be excited for a longer period of time. Prediction tools for VIV may be split into parametric Response Models such as described in DNV-RP-F105 and methods based on empirical coefficients such as SHEAR7 and VIVANA. Methods based on force coefficient have until recently been limited to CF VIV due to lack of hydrodynamic coefficients for IL response. This paper presents results from forced IL oscillation experiments of a smooth, rigid cylinder in uniform flow. The results are presented as dynamic in-line coefficients for the pure IL regime, i.e. reduced velocity between 1 and 4, at Reynolds number 24.000. The results are compared with IL results from free oscillation experiments found in the literature.

2015 ◽  
Vol 782 ◽  
pp. 300-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangfang Xie ◽  
Yue Yu ◽  
Yiannis Constantinides ◽  
Michael S. Triantafyllou ◽  
George Em Karniadakis

We employ three-dimensional direct and large-eddy numerical simulations of the vibrations and flow past cylinders fitted with free-to-rotate U-shaped fairings placed in a cross-flow at Reynolds number $100\leqslant \mathit{Re}\leqslant 10\,000$. Such fairings are nearly neutrally buoyant devices fitted along the axis of long circular risers to suppress vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs). We consider three different geometric configurations: a homogeneous fairing, and two configurations (denoted A and AB) involving a gap between adjacent segments. For the latter two cases, we investigate the effect of the gap on the hydrodynamic force coefficients and the translational and rotational motions of the system. For all configurations, as the Reynolds number increases beyond 500, both the lift and drag coefficients decrease. Compared to a plain cylinder, a homogeneous fairing system (no gaps) can help reduce the drag force coefficient by 15 % for reduced velocity $U^{\ast }=4.65$, while a type A gap system can reduce the drag force coefficient by almost 50 % for reduced velocity $U^{\ast }=3.5,4.65,6$, and, correspondingly, the vibration response of the combined system, as well as the fairing rotation amplitude, are substantially reduced. For a homogeneous fairing, the cross-flow amplitude is reduced by about 80 %, whereas for fairings with a gap longer than half a cylinder diameter, VIVs are completely eliminated, resulting in additional reduction in the drag coefficient. We have related such VIV suppression or elimination to the features of the wake flow structure. We find that a gap causes the generation of strong streamwise vorticity in the gap region that interferes destructively with the vorticity generated by the fairings, hence disorganizing the formation of coherent spanwise cortical patterns. We provide visualization of the incoherent wake flow that leads to total elimination of the vibration and rotation of the fairing–cylinder system. Finally, we investigate the effect of the friction coefficient between cylinder and fairing. The effect overall is small, even when the friction coefficients of adjacent segments are different. In some cases the equilibrium positions of the fairings are rotated by a small angle on either side of the centreline, in a symmetry-breaking bifurcation, which depends strongly on Reynolds number.


Author(s):  
Jamison L. Szwalek ◽  
Carl M. Larsen

In-line vibrations have been noted to have an important contribution to the fatigue of free spanning pipelines. Still, in-line contributions are not usually accounted for in current VIV prediction models. The present study seeks to broaden the current knowledge regarding in-line vibrations by expanding the work of Aronsen (2007) to include possible Reynolds number effects on pure in-line forced, sinusoidal oscillations for four Reynolds numbers ranging from 9,000 to 36,200. Similar tests were performed for pure cross-flow forced motion as well, mostly to confirm findings from previous research. When experimental uncertainties are accounted for, there appears to be little dependence on Reynolds number for all three hydrodynamic coefficients considered: the force in phase with velocity, the force in phase with acceleration, and the mean drag coefficient. However, trends can still be observed for the in-line added mass in the first instability region and for the transition between the two instability regions for in-line oscillations, and also between the low and high cross-flow added mass regimes. For Re = 9,000, the hydrodynamic coefficients do not appear to be stable and can be regarded as highly Reynolds number dependent.


Author(s):  
Sang Woo Kim ◽  
Svein Sævik ◽  
Jie Wu

Abstract This paper addresses the performance evaluation of an empirical time domain Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV) model which has been developed for several years at NTNU. Unlike the frequency domain which is the existing VIV analysis method, the time domain model introduces new vortex shedding force terms to the well known Morison equation. The extra load terms are based on the relative velocity, a synchronization model and additional empirical coefficients that describe the hydrodynamic forces due to cross-flow (CF) and In-line (IL) vortex shedding. These hydrodynamic coefficients have been tuned to fit experimental data and by considering the results from the one of existing frequency domain VIV programs, VIVANA, which is widely used for industrial design. The feature of the time domain model is that it enables to include the structural non-linearity, such as variable tension, and time-varying flow. The robustness of the new model’s features has been validated by comparing the test results in previous researches. However, the riser used in experiments has a relatively small length/diameter (L/D) ratio. It implies that there is a need for more validation to make it applicable to real riser design. In this study, the time domain VIV model is applied to perform correlation studies against the Hanøytangen experiment data for the case of linear sheared current at a large L/D ratio. The main comparison has been made with respect to the maximum fatigue damage and dominating frequency for each test condition. The results show the time domain model showed reasonable accuracy with respect to the experimental and VIVANA. The discrepancy with regard to experiment results needs to be further studied with a non-linear structural model.


Author(s):  
Decao Yin ◽  
Elizabeth Passano ◽  
Carl M. Larsen

Slender marine structures are subjected to ocean currents, which can cause vortex-induced vibrations (VIV). Accumulated damage due to VIV can shorten the fatigue life of marine structures, so it needs to be considered in the design and operation phase. Semi-empirical VIV prediction tools are based on hydrodynamic coefficients. The hydrodynamic coefficients can either be calculated from experiments on flexible beams by using inverse analysis or theoretical methods, or obtained from forced motion experiments on a circular cylinder. Most of the forced motion experiments apply harmonic motions in either in-line (IL) or crossflow (CF) direction. Combined IL and CF forced motion experiments are also reported. However, measured motions from flexible pipe VIV tests contain higher order harmonic components, which have not yet been extensively studied. This paper presents results from conventional forced motion VIV experiments, but using measured motions taken from a flexible pipe undergoing VIV. The IL excitation coefficients were used by semi-empirical VIV prediction software vivana to perform combined IL and CF VIV calculation. The key IL results are compared with Norwegian Deepwater Programme (NDP) flexible pipe model test results. By using present IL excitation coefficients, the prediction of IL responses for combined IL and CF VIV responses is improved.


Author(s):  
Carl M. Larsen ◽  
Rune Yttervik ◽  
Kristoffer Aronsen

Pure in-line (IL) vibrations will in many cases contribute significantly to fatigue damage for free spanning pipelines. This might be the case even if IL amplitudes are smaller than cross-flow (CF). While CF response has been subjected to research for a long time, little attention has so far been given to the pure IL VIV case. The hydrodynamic coefficients needed for response calculation have in fact not been available until recently, but results from forced IL oscillations have improved this situation. Data for added mass and force in IL direction has been used to establish a general response model along the same lines as for traditional CF response analysis. This has made it possible to calculate stresses from IL VIV in free spanning pipelines, and include the influence from interaction with the seafloor at the span shoulders. A brief presentation of the analysis method is given, but the main part of the paper gives results from a case study that illustrates important effects and the significance of IL response as compared to CF.


2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Zanganeh ◽  
Narakorn Srinil

A phenomenological model and analytical–numerical approach to systematically characterize variable hydrodynamic coefficients and maximum achievable responses in two-dimensional vortex-induced vibrations with dual two-to-one resonances are presented. The model is based on double Duffing and van der Pol oscillators which simulate a flexibly mounted circular cylinder subjected to uniform flow and oscillating in simultaneous cross-flow/in-line directions. Depending on system quadratic and cubic nonlinearities, amplitudes, oscillation frequencies and phase relationships, analytical closed-form expressions are derived to parametrically evaluate key hydrodynamic coefficients governing the fluid excitation, inertia and added mass force components, as well as maximum dual-resonant responses. The amplification of the mean drag is ascertained. Qualitative validations of numerical predictions with experimental comparisons are discussed. Parametric investigations are performed to highlight the important effects of system nonlinearities, mass, damping, and natural frequency ratios.


Author(s):  
Decao Yin ◽  
Carl M. Larsen

Long marine risers exposed to ocean currents will experience vortex induced vibrations (VIV), which may cause severe fatigue damage. VIV is, however, generally less understood than other load effects. The offshore oil industry has therefore supported an intensive research activity on VIV during the last two decades. High mode VIV model tests with long flexible riser models were initiated by the Norwegian Deepwater Programme (NDP). A 38 m horizontally towed instrumented riser was tested in uniform and linearly sheared current profiles with varying towing speed. A second series of experiments has been conducted with a motion-controlled rigid cylinder in order to find the hydrodynamic coefficients for realistic cross-section trajectories. The pipe was forced to follow periodic patterns found from the NDP tests with flexible beam. The Reynolds’ number and the non-dimensional frequency, as well the amplitude ratio was kept identical for both types of tests, ensuring that the flow conditions for these two experiments remain the same. The hydrodynamic coefficients calculated from natural trajectories show a general agreement with pure harmonic forced motion tests. A slight change of excitation regions was, however, found for cross-flow response. Another observation is that in-line excitation force coefficients have much higher values than found from pure in-line test.


Author(s):  
Decao Yin ◽  
Carl M. Larsen

Vortex induced vibrations (VIV) of long, slender marine structures may cause severe fatigue damage. However, VIV is still not fully understood, which calls for further research on this topic. This paper discusses results from experimental and numerical investigations of forces on rigid cylinders subjected to combined in-line (IL) and cross-flow (CF) motions, and it aims at improving the understanding of the interaction between IL and CF response components. Model tests with a long flexible beam were conducted at MARINTEK for the Norwegian Deepwater Programme (NDP). The model was 38 m long and it was towed horizontally so that both uniform and linear sheared current profiles could be obtained. Orbits for cross section motions at selected positions along the beam were identified in these tests. Forced motion experiments using these orbits were later carried out in the Marine Cybernetic Laboratory at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). A 2 m long rigid cylinder was towed horizontally and forced to follow the measured orbits with identical amplitude ratio, non-dimensional frequency and Reynolds number as for the flexible beam tests. Parts of the results from these tests were published by Yin & Larsen in 2010. In this paper results from an investigation of trajectories for six positions along the beam in a uniform current condition will be shown. Three orbits have nearly the same CF amplitude ratio at the primary CF frequency, and the other three have similar IL amplitude ratio at the primary IL frequency, which is twice the CF frequency. Hydrodynamic coefficients have been found from experiments and numerical computations were carried out to find vortex shedding patterns for these cases. The main conclusions are that the IL motion component is a significant influence factor, and that higher order displacement components are more pronounced in IL direction than CF. Significant displacements in IL direction at 6 times the primary CF frequency were also observed, the ‘2T’ vortex pattern was captured when strong IL motion components were present. It is also seen that hydrodynamic coefficients should be found for combined CF and IL orbits and thereby improve the empirical models for prediction of VIV.


Author(s):  
Kristoffer H. Aronsen ◽  
Carl Martin Larsen

The paper presents results from an experimental investigation of hydrodynamic forces on a cylinder under forced in-line motions. Measured forces are decomposed into added mass, driving force and average drag components. From a large set of experiments it has been possible to draw a complete map for in-line force coefficients as function of arbitrary combinations of motion amplitude and frequency. The paper presents test set-up, data processing and how the coefficients can be used in an empirical force coefficient model for calculation of in-line vibrations of slender marine structures with arbitrary damping. Such analyses are in particular important for free spanning pipelines, where damping from pipe/seafloor interaction will reduce the response amplitudes and hence also stresses and fatigue damage.


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