Towing Tank Experiments on the Vortex-Induced Vibrations of a Flexible Cylinder With Wake Interference

Author(s):  
Francisco J. Huera-Huarte ◽  
Zafar A. Bangash ◽  
Leo M. Gonzalez

We describe recent results showing the dynamic response, excited by vortex shedding, of a long flexible cylinder subject to a stepped current immersed in the wake of another cylinder, placed upstream in tandem configuration. Experiments were conducted at the E.T.S.I. Navales towing tank of the Technical University of Madrid during March 2012. The tank is 80 m long with a cross-section of 4 × 2.5 m. A supporting structure was designed in order to provide support for a 3 m long cylinder with an external diameter of 16 mm. The cylinder was instrumented with strain gauges providing curvature measurements in the in-line and the cross-flow directions at 11 locations along its length. Tension and drag forces were also measured at both ends of the model. For these experiments, the upstream rigid cylinder was made stationary by fixing it at both ends, and it was located at different centre to centre distances. More than 200 runs were conducted, with its lower 65% length under the water free surface, connected to the structure by means of universal joints. The supporting structure allowed to configure different top end conditions and to apply different top tensions. Tests were conducted with speeds up to 1.4 m/s. The cylinder had a low flexural stiffness of 6.04 Nm2 and low mass ratio of 2.7. Fundamental natural frequencies were in the range from about 2.3 to 6.2 Hz, and the cylinder responded in modes up to the third cross-flow.

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Huera-Huarte ◽  
Zafar A. Bangash ◽  
Leo M. González

We describe recent results showing the dynamic response, excited by vortex shedding, of a long flexible cylinder subject to a stepped current. The experiments were conducted at the Naval Architecture Department towing tank of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) during March 2012. The tank is 100 m long with a cross-section of 3.8 × 2.5 m, and it is able to deliver speeds over 4 m/s. A supporting structure was designed in order to provide support for a 3 m long cylinder with an external diameter of 19 mm. The cylinder was instrumented with strain gauges providing curvature measurements in the in-line and the cross-flow directions at 11 locations along its length. Tension and drag forces were also measured at both ends of the model. More than 50 runs were conducted with the cylinder being placed vertically having its lower 65% length under the water free surface, connected to the structure by means of universal joints. The supporting structure allowed to configure different top end conditions and to apply different top tensions. Tests were conducted for Reynolds numbers as high as 34000. The cylinder had a low flexural stiffness and very low mass ratio m* of 0.67. Fundamental natural frequencies were in the range from about 4 to 7.9 Hz, and the cylinder responded in modes up to the third cross-flow. In this article we will describe the experiments and the instrumentation used, the modal tests conducted and the results obtained during the experiments.


Author(s):  
Bijan Sanaati ◽  
Naomi Kato

Groups of cylinders can be found in many engineering fields such as marine and civil applications. The behaviors of the group cylinders can be very complex because it undergoes the mutual effects of adjacent cylinders arranged in different positions. In this paper, we present the results of a study on the dynamics of a group of flexible cylinders in square arrangements along with a single (isolated) cylinder subjected to uniform cross-flow (CF). Four cylinders of the same size, properties, and pretensions were tested in two configurations with different centre-to-centre separations. Horizontal and vertical separations were 2.75D & 2.75D and 5.50D & 2.75D for the first and second configurations, respectively. The tandem (horizontal) separations between the downstream and upstream cylinders, i.e., 2.75D and 5.5D, correspond to the reattachment and co-shedding regimes, respectively. Vertical separation, i.e., 2.75 was chosen in a range where the side-by-side cylinders can have proximity interference. Reynolds number ranged from 1400 to 20000 (subcritical regime). The parameter of reduced velocity reached up to 19. The aspect ratio of all the cylinders was 162 (length/diameter). Mass ratio (cylinders mass/displaced water) is 1.17, a low mass ratio. The amplitude ratio of the CF vibration of the downstream cylinders, hydrodynamic force coefficients including mean and fluctuating components of the drag and lift forces, and frequency responses for both CF and inline (IL) directions were analyzed. All the cylinders excited up to the second and fourth mode of vibrations for CF and IL directions, respectively. Mean drag coefficient of the upstream cylinders are almost twice those of the downstream cylinders at high reduced velocities. The mean lift coefficient is much higher for the upstream cylinders than the downstream cylinders with a negative value. Obvious IL and CF lock-in regions exist for all four cylinders at low reduced velocities. Among the four cylinders, the upper downstream cylinder shows the least and the most fluctuating lift and drag forces, respectively. The IL and CF frequencies of the downstream cylinders are much lower than those of the upstream ones and the single cylinder.


2018 ◽  
Vol 850 ◽  
pp. 370-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Huera-Huarte

Experiments have been conducted with a low mass-damping circular cylinder, elastically supported in a cross-flow, in the vicinity of a second stationary cylinder. The dynamic response, including amplitudes and frequencies of oscillation, together with the fluid excitation, were measured covering a large parametric space, consisting of variations in the gap distance between the cylinders as well as in the reduced velocity and Reynolds number. The flow dynamics in the near wake was also measured using planar particle image velocimetry. The results show how there is a strong wake interaction between the cylinders that greatly modifies the vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of the elastically mounted cylinder when the centre-to-centre distance between the models is initially set to values smaller than $3.5D$, where $D$ is the external diameter. The wake interference leads to responding amplitudes that are reduced if compared to those of isolated cylinders undergoing VIV, while responding frequencies are increased. The transverse force coefficients observed in the lock-in region increase and the upper branch shifts to smaller reduced velocities. The phase between motion and excitation is also shifted and values measured in the lower branch of the response tend to be smaller than those typical of isolated cylinders. At the smallest separation distances investigated, the wakes of the cylinders are synchronised in an out-of-phase mode of shedding, characterised by a biased flow towards the oscillating cylinder.


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.


Author(s):  
Yoann Jus ◽  
Elisabeth Longatte ◽  
Jean-Camille Chassaing ◽  
Pierre Sagaut

The present work focusses on the numerical study of Vortex-Induced Vibrations (VIV) of an elastically mounted cylinder in a cross flow at moderate Reynolds numbers. Low mass-damping experimental studies show that the dynamic behavior of the cylinder exhibits a three-branch response model, depending on the range of the reduced velocity. However, few numerical simulations deal with accurate computations of the VIV amplitudes at the lock-in upper branch of the bifurcation diagram. In this work, the dynamic response of the cylinder is investigated by means of three-dimensional Large Eddy Simulation (LES). An Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian framework is employed to account for fluid solid interface boundary motion and grid deformation. Numerous numerical simulations are performed at a Reynolds number of 3900 for both no damping and low-mass damping ratio and various reduced velocities. A detailed physical analysis is conducted to show how the present methodology is able to capture the different VIV responses.


Author(s):  
Carl M. Larsen ◽  
Gro Sagli Baarholm ◽  
Halvor Lie

Helical strakes are known to reduce and even eliminate the oscillation amplitude of vortex induced vibrations (VIV). This reduction will increase fatigue life, and also reduce drag magnification from cross-flow vibrations. But sections with strakes will also have a larger drag coefficient than the bare riser. Hence, the extension of a section with strakes along a riser should be large enough to reduce oscillations, but not too long in order to limit drag forces from current and waves. The optimum length and position for a given riser will therefore vary with current profile. Dynamic response from waves should also be taken into account. The purpose of the present paper is to illustrate the influence from strakes on VIV, as well as on static and dynamic response for a drilling riser. Hydrodynamic coefficients for a cylinder with helical strakes are found from experiments and applied in an empirical model for the analysis of VIV. The result from the VIV analysis is used for a second calculation of drag forces that are applied in an updated static analysis. Dynamic stresses from regular waves are also presented, but VIV are not considered for these cases. A simple study of length and position of the section with strakes is carried out for some standard current profiles. Results are presented in terms of oscillation amplitudes, fatigue damage, bending stresses and riser angles at ends. The study is based on test data for one particular strake geometry, but the analysis method as such is general, and the computer programs used in the study can easily apply other test data.


2011 ◽  
Vol 677 ◽  
pp. 342-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
REMI BOURGUET ◽  
GEORGE E. KARNIADAKIS ◽  
MICHAEL S. TRIANTAFYLLOU

We investigate the in-line and cross-flow vortex-induced vibrations of a long cylindrical tensioned beam, with length to diameter ratio L/D = 200, placed within a linearly sheared oncoming flow, using three-dimensional direct numerical simulation. The study is conducted at three Reynolds numbers, from 110 to 1100 based on maximum velocity, so as to include the transition to turbulence in the wake. The selected tension and bending stiffness lead to high-wavenumber vibrations, similar to those encountered in long ocean structures. The resulting vortex-induced vibrations consist of a mixture of standing and travelling wave patterns in both the in-line and cross-flow directions; the travelling wave component is preferentially oriented from high to low velocity regions. The in-line and cross-flow vibrations have a frequency ratio approximately equal to 2. Lock-in, the phenomenon of self-excited vibrations accompanied by synchronization between the vortex shedding and cross-flow vibration frequencies, occurs in the high-velocity region, extending across 30% or more of the beam length. The occurrence of lock-in disrupts the spanwise regularity of the cellular patterns observed in the wake of stationary cylinders in shear flow. The wake exhibits an oblique vortex shedding pattern, inclined in the direction of the travelling wave component of the cylinder vibrations. Vortex splittings occur between spanwise cells of constant vortex shedding frequency. The flow excites the cylinder under the lock-in condition with a preferential in-line versus cross-flow motion phase difference corresponding to counter-clockwise, figure-eight orbits; but it damps cylinder vibrations in the non-lock-in region. Both mono-frequency and multi-frequency responses may be excited. In the case of multi-frequency response and within the lock-in region, the wake can lock in to different frequencies at various spanwise locations; however, lock-in is a locally mono-frequency event, and hence the flow supplies energy to the structure mainly at the local lock-in frequency.


Author(s):  
Murilo M. Cicolin ◽  
Gustavo R. S. Assi

Experiments have been carried out on models of rigid circular cylinders fitted with three different types of permeable meshes to investigate their effectiveness in the suppression of vortex-induced vibrations (VIV). Measurements of amplitude of vibration and drag force are presented for models with low mass and damping which are free to respond in the cross-flow direction. Results for two meshes made of ropes and cylindrical tubes are compared with the VIV response of a bare cylinder and that of a known suppressor called the “ventilated trousers” (VT). All three meshes achieved an average 50% reduction of the peak response when compared with that of the bare cylinder. The sparse mesh configuration presented a similar behaviour to the VT, while the dense mesh produced considerable VIV response for an indefinitely long range of reduced velocity. All the three meshes have increased drag when compared with that of the bare cylinder. Reynolds number ranged from 5,000 to 25,000 and reduced velocity was varied between 2 and 15.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bijan Sanaati ◽  
Naomi Kato

It is believed that investigations on flow around pairs of cylinders can provide a better understanding of the interference effects than the cases involving larger numbers of cylinders. Studies that deal with the dynamic responses of multiple flexible cylinders with low mass ratios and high aspect ratios are few because of the complexities in the responses. In this paper, the effects of wake interference on the dynamic responses of two pre-tensioned flexible cylinders in tandem arrangement subjected to uniform cross-flow are investigated. The analysis results of the tandem cylinders are presented and compared with an isolated flexible cylinder. Two flexible cylinders of the same size, properties, and pretensions were tested at four different centre-to-centre separation distances, namely, 2.75, 5.5, 8.25 and 11 diameters. Reynolds number range is from 1400 to 20000 (subcritical regime). The aspect ratio of the cylinders is 162 (length over diameter). Mass ratio (cylinders mass over displaced water) is 1.17. The amplitude ratio of the CF vibration of the downstream cylinder, IL deflections of both cylinders, frequency responses in both CF and inline (IL) directions were analyzed. For all the examined separation distances, the downstream cylinder does not show build-up of upper branch (within the lock-in region of the classical VIV of the isolated cylinder). The initial distance between the tandem cylinders cannot remain constant. The distance decreases with reduced velocity because of the unequal IL deflection of tandem cylinders. From the CF frequency response of the lift (transverse) force of downstream cylinder, the highest vibration amplitude at all the separation distances occurs whenever their frequencies transitioned into second modal value. The frequency responses of the upstream cylinder cannot be greatly affected by the downstream cylinder even for small separations in contrast to the downstream cylinder.


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