Numerical and Experimental Comparisons of Vortex-Induced Vibrations of Marine Risers in Uniform/Sheared Currents

Abstract

This version is available at https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/18595/ Strathprints is designed to allow users to access the research output of the University of Strathclyde. Unless otherwise explicitly stated on the manuscript, Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Please check the manuscript for details of any other licences that may have been applied. You may not engage in further distribution of the material for any profitmaking activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute both the url (https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/) and the content of this paper for research or private study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge.Any correspondence concerning this service should be sent to the Strathprints administrator: strathprints@strath.ac.ukThe Strathprints institutional repository (https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk) is a digital archive of University of Strathclyde research outputs. It has been developed to disseminate open access research outputs, expose data about those outputs, and enable the management and persistent access to Strathclyde's intellectual output. The nonlinear equations governing riser axial/transversal motions are derived based on a top-tensioned beam model with typical pinned-pinned boundary conditions. The riser geometric nonlinearities owing to possible large dynamic displacements and multi-mode interactions are accounted for. To approximate the space-time varying lift force, the empirical hydrodynamic model, based on a nonlinear van der Pol wake oscillator with a distributed diffusive term, is used. A low-dimensional dynamic model and computationally-robust time-domain tool are then developed to evaluate the multi-mode fluid-riser interactions. These are very useful in dealing with large parametric studies involving varying system parameters.Comparisons of numerical and experimental results are performed by estimating riser response amplitudes and fatigue damage indices. Both linear and nonlinear risers are considered in the present numerical model whereas only linear riser has been considered by a referenced literature in the reconstruction of experimental displacements through measured strains. It is found that riser geometric nonlinearities play a significant role in both numerical simulations and comparisons with experiment post-processed results. In some cases, quantitative/qualitative discrepancies in riser response predictions are remarkable with linear vs. nonlinear models. These may be recognized as one of the factors why recent numerical and experimental comparisons in literature have been unsuccessful.