Forced Motion Experiments With Measured Motions From Flexible Beam Tests Under Uniform and Sheared Flows

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

Hydrodynamic forces on a cylinder under realistic combinations of in-line (IL) and cross-flow (CF) vortex induced vibrations (VIV) have been investigated. Signals of strain gauges and accelerometers from the Norwegian Deepwater Programme (NDP) tests with a long, slender beam were used to identify cross section orbits. 19 cross sections almost evenly distributed along the pipe were selected, and their motions were applied in controlled motion experiments with a rigid cylinder. Dimensionless parameters like Reynolds number and non-dimensional frequency were identical for the two sets of experiments. Comparison between hydrodynamic coefficients found from forced motion tests with observed motion time histories and periodic approximations are presented. Force histories are also investigated in detail. Orbit types for combined IL and CF VIV are categorized based on relative amplitude and phase, and it is shown that IL motions exhibit chaotic character more easily than CF. Amplitude modulation is observed frequently. Cases where cross section motions are close to periodic have similar hydrodynamic forces as for periodic motion, implying that periodic forced motion tests are relevant to get valid force information. Many cases have amplitude modulated IL motions, while CF motions are quasi-steady. In such cases, IL amplitude modulation can cause abrupt change of IL forces and also 3rd order CF forces, which can accumulate large fatigue damage. When both IL and CF motions are chaotic, the force-motion relationship is impossible to describe by constant coefficients.

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):  
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):  
Ida M. Aglen ◽  
Carl M. Larsen

The importance of cross-flow (CF) response generated by vortex induced vibrations (VIV) of free spanning pipelines has long been recognised. The significance of in-line (IL) vibrations has recently been understood and hence also been subjected to research. The combined effect of CF and IL vibrations is, however, still not fully described. This paper highlights the CF-IL interaction with focus on the transition zone from pure IL to CF dominated response, giving special attention to how the added mass influences the interaction. Results from extensive flexible beam tests connected to the Ormen Lange (OL) development have been used as a basis for this study. Trajectories for cross sectional motions from the flexible beam test were identified, and then used as forced motions of a large diameter rigid cylinder exposed to uniform flow. Non-dimensional parameters like Reynolds number (Re), amplitude ratio and reduced frequency were identical for the two tests. Hence, forces found from the forced motion test could be used to find hydrodynamic coefficients valid for the flexible beam case. This paper discusses the results from the flexible beam tests with a relatively short length to diameter ratio (L/D) of 145. Modal analyses by Nielsen et al. (2002) show that the first mode dominates in both directions for these particular tests, even though the IL response frequency is twice the CF frequency. In this paper the added mass variations along the OL flexible beam is studied. Forces acting on 4 different cross sections along the beam are measured for 7 different prototype velocities. For each test the hydrodynamic coefficients are calculated, and the results show how the added mass changes along the beam for increasing velocities, and thereby creates resonance for both IL and CF response. The stability of the added mass coefficient throughout the time series is also evaluated.


Author(s):  
Alexandre Cinello ◽  
François Pétrié ◽  
Thierry Rippol ◽  
Bernard Molin ◽  
Guillaume Damblans

Galloping may take place for non-circular cross sections, such as an ice-coated electric power line or a riser bundle, under current action. This type of instabilities occurs at lower frequency than Vortex Induced Vibrations but with unbounded amplitude, and might be detrimental for riser integrity. In a recent joint industry project, the CITEPH “Gallopan” project, galloping instabilities were investigated for two types of cylinders: an academic square cylinder and a generic riser tower cross section. Model tests and numerical computations were performed to assess the propensity of both cylinders to gallop. Experiments on the square cylinder are reported here. Three types of tests were performed in steady flow: loads measurement on fixed cylinder, at various headings; loads measurement on the cylinder with over imposed cross-flow harmonic oscillations; free transverse oscillations. By using analytical calculations, the ability to predict galloping instability occurrence and amplitude, of each of the three above methods, was compared. Compared to typical results found in literature, these experiments were conducted at a larger scale, and thus with Reynolds number closer to on-site values, i.e. over 105.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo R. S. Assi ◽  
Tommaso Crespi

Abstract Slender offshore structures of a cylindrical cross section, such as drilling and production risers, are susceptible to vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) when exposed to water currents. The present work presents an experimental investigation of the suppression of VIV of a circular cylinder by means of three different types of helical strakes: (i) a strake with continuous blades, (ii) a strake with serrated blades (or fins) and (iii) a strake with serrated blades individually twisted in relation to the incoming flow. By altering the blade geometry to produce the twisted-bladed strake, it was possible to keep the same level of suppression of the cross-flow vibration achieved by conventional strakes, but reducing drag in 15%. Experiments have been conducted in a recirculating water channel at moderate Reynolds numbers.


Author(s):  
Marlow Springer ◽  
Rajeev K. Jaiman ◽  
Steve Cosgrove ◽  
Yiannis Constantinides

Due to the complex interactions of vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) and downstream wake dynamics, the design of riser arrays has been an area of great uncertainty in the offshore industry. Numerical methodology can play an important role in predicting the hydrodynamic forces and motion of riser arrays from both design and operational standpoints. The focus of this study is to investigate the VIV response of two flexible risers in cross-flow using a CFD solver. Bare and straked geometries are simulated, and the results are successfully compared against experimental results. The basic hydrodynamic features are well captured and the numerical technique is an improvement over the existing empirical and experience-based methods.


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):  
Jie Wu ◽  
Decao Yin ◽  
Halvor Lie ◽  
Carl M. Larsen ◽  
Rolf J. Baarholm ◽  
...  

Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV) can lead to fast accumulation of fatigue damage and increased drag loads on slender marine structures. A cylinder subjected to VIV can vibrate in both in-line (IL) and cross-flow (CF) directions. The CF response is dominated by the primary shedding frequency and the IL response frequency is often two times of the primary CF frequency. In addition, higher harmonics can also be present. The third order harmonics are more pronounced when the motion orbit of the cylinder is close to “figure 8″ shape and cylinder is moving against the flow at its largest transverse motion. Recent studies with flexible beam VIV tests have shown that higher harmonics can have significant contribution to the fatigue damage in addition to the loads at the primary shedding frequency. However, there is a lack of understanding of when and where higher harmonic loads occur. The fatigue damage due to the higher harmonics is not considered in the present VIV prediction tools. In the present paper, the test data of selected cases subjected to linearly sheared flow profile from two test programs, the Shell high mode VIV test[11] and the Hanøytangen test[5] have been studied. The factors that may influence the occurrence of the higher harmonics, such as the bending stiffness, reduced velocity and orbits stability, have been studied. The importance of higher harmonics in VIV fatigue has also been investigated. Finally, a method to include higher harmonics in the fatigue calculation is presented.


Author(s):  
Jie Wu ◽  
Halvor Lie ◽  
Carl M. Larsen ◽  
Stergios Liapis

It has long been known that in-line (IL) response will influence cross-flow (CF) vortex shedding forces and vice versa. However, empirical codes for prediction of vortex induced vibrations (VIV) of slender marine structures have so far been limited to handle CF or IL response separately without taking into account the interaction between the two response modes. The motion phase angle between IL and CF displacement is a key parameter to be included in the empirical codes in order to model such interaction. The present study uses the data from Shell’s High mode VIV experiments that were performed at the MARINTEK Offshore Basin in March 2011. This extensive test program provides a rich dataset for measuring the motion phase angle and hydrodynamic force coefficients under different flow conditions. It is found that the energy transfer from the fluid to the pipe is related to counter-clockwise trajectories inside the excitation region; while clockwise trajectories are associated with hydrodynamic damping forces. The influence of the travelling wave behavior on motion phase angle and hydrodynamic force coefficients are also studied. It was found that the spatial variation of the motion phase angle of the beam is different when travelling waves dominate the response.


Author(s):  
Jie Wu ◽  
Halvor Lie ◽  
ShiXiao Fu ◽  
Rolf Baarholm ◽  
Yiannis Constantinides

Steel Lazy Wave Riser (SLWR) is an attractive deep water riser concept. When subjected to vortex induced vibrations (VIV), the vortex shedding process of the buoyancy element and the bare riser section will be different due to the difference in diameter. VIV responses can be strongly influenced by the dimension of the buoyancy element and its arrangement. Empirical VIV prediction programs, such as VIVANA, SHEAR7 and VIVA, are widely used by the industry for design against VIV loads. However, there is lack of hydrodynamic data to be used in these programs when buoyancy elements are present. Experiment to obtain hydrodynamic data for riser with staggered buoyancy elements was carried out in the towing tank in SINTEF Ocean. A rigid cylinder section with three staggered buoyancy elements was subjected to harmonic forced cross-flow (CF) motions. Hydrodynamic forces on one of the buoyancy elements were directly measured in addition to the measured forces at both ends of the test section. Two buoyancy element configurations were tested and the corresponding hydrodynamic data are compared with that of a bare cylinder. The obtained hydrodynamic data was also used in VIV prediction software and good prediction against existing flexible cylinder staggered buoyancy element VIV test data was achieved. A roadmap to achieve an optimal SLWR design by combining different experimental and numerical methods is suggested.


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