Laboratory tests of vortex-induced vibrations of a long flexible riser pipe subjected to uniform flow

Laboratory tests have been conducted on vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a long flexible riser towed horizontally in a wave basin. The riser model has an external diameter of 16 mm and a total length of 28.0 m giving an aspect ratio of about 1750. Reynolds numbers ranged from about 3000 to 10,000. Fiber optic grating strain gages are adopted to measure the dynamic response in both cross-flow and in-line directions. The cross-flow vibrations were observed to vibrate at modes up to 6 and the in-line reached up to 12. The fundamental response frequencies can be predicted by a Strouhal number of about 0.18. Multi-mode responses and the asymmetry of the bare pipe response in uniform flow were observed and analyzed. The experimental results confirmed that the riser pipe vibrated multi-modally despite it being subject to a uniform current profile and all of the excited modes vibrated at the Strouhal frequency. The asymmetrical distribution of displacement mainly resulted from the modal composition. Higher harmonics of the VIV response such as the third, fourth and fifth harmonics frequencies were found to be steady over the entire duration of the test even if they varied along the length of the riser pipe.     

均匀来流下尾翼型抑振装置效果试验研究

基于控制尾流,阻止立管尾流漩涡脱落转换路径的涡激振动抑制机理,设计三角形尾翼、片状尾翼及交错尾翼等三种抑振装置。三种抑振装置分别安装于立管模型表面,立管模型采用外径为18 mm的透明有机玻璃管。通过在均匀流场中进行安装有该抑振装置的立管模型涡激振动试验,研究三种抑振装置对立管涡激振动的抑制效率,并通过与配重裸管的涡激振动数据对比,分析抑振装置对立管动力响应的影响规律。研究结果表明,三种抑振装置均取得了明显的抑振效果,与配重裸管相比,安装片状尾翼及交错尾翼的立管模型抑制效率可达90%以上,安装三角形尾翼后立管模型振动频率略有减小,而安装片状尾翼及交错尾翼的立管模型没有明显的主导频率。     

大长细比柔性杆件涡激振动实验

涡激振动(vortex-induced vibration,VIV)是导致深海细长柔性立管发生疲劳破坏的重要因素。采用实验观测手段研究了长细比为1 750的柔性立管多模态涡激振动特性。实验中,通过采用拖车拖拉立管模型在水池中匀速行进来模拟均匀流作用下的涡激振动响应。利用光纤光栅传感器测量立管模型在横流向(cross-flow,CF)和顺流向(in-line,IL)的应变,进而通过模态分解的方法,获得立管模型涡激振动的位移。在此基础上,研究了CF以及IL方向的响应频率、位移标准差的平均值和最大值等随流速的变化规律,并分析了立管模型上测点的运动轨迹及其影响因素。     

Tension and Drag Forces of Flexible Risers Undergoing Vortex-Induced Vibration

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the variation in the tension and the distribution of drag force coefficients along flexible risers under vortex-induced vibration (VIV) in a uniform flow for Reynolds numbers (Re) up to 2.2×10⁵. The results show that the mean tension is proportional to the square of the incoming current speed, and the tension coefficient of a flexible riser undergoing VIV can be up to 12. The mean drag force is uniformly and symmetrically distributed along the axes of the risers undergoing VIV. The corresponding drag coefficient can vary between 1.6 and 2.4 but is not a constant value of 1.2, as it is for a fixed cylinder in the absence of VIV. These experimental results are used to develop a new empirical prediction model to estimate the drag force coefficient for flexible risers undergoing VIV for Reynolds number on the order of 10⁵, which accounts for the effects of the incoming current speed, the VIV dominant modal number and the frequency.     

An Experimental Study on Dynamics Features of Three Side-by-Side Flexible Risers Undergoing Vortex-Induced Vibrations in A Uniform Flow

A vortex-induced vibration(VIV) experiment on three side-by-side risers subjected to a uniform flow was carried out in a combined wave-current flume. The dynamic features of interference effect on three side-by-side risers were investigated by varying fluid velocity and inter-riser spacing. The distributions of dimensionless displacement,dominant frequency, and displacement trajectory of the model risers were measured using mode decomposition and wavelet transform techniques. The coupled interference of inter-riser fluid to adjacent risers at different spacings was disclosed by introducing the "interference ratio" concept. The results show that at spacings smaller than 6.0 D, the three model risers display appreciable deviations in their displacement responses in cross-flow or in-line direction,attributable to the strong proximity disturbance and wake interference between the risers. When the spacing is increased to 8.0 D, wake interference still makes great difference to the dynamic response of the risers in both directions. As reduced velocity increases, the three risers show higher agreement with an isolated riser in overall dominant vibration frequency in CF direction than that in IL direction at all spacings and the side risers, although symmetrically placed, do not vibrate symmetrically, as a result of the steady deflection of clearance flow within the riser group. Interference effect results in a remarkable unsteady mode competition within the risers; quantitation of the interference levels for the three risers at different spacings with interference ratio revealed that under low flow velocities and large spacing ratios, clearance flow constitutes a non-neglectable interferer for three side-by-side risers.     

Instantaneous multi-mode identification and analysis of vortex-induced vibration via a mode decomposition method

The dynamic characteristics of marine risers/pipes often present serried modes with various frequencies due to high levels of structural flexibility and slenderness, especially when the flow velocity is non-uniformly distributed along the span. Therefore, the vortex-induced vibration (hence VIV) for slender risers/pipes is usually characterized by multi-mode motions. In this paper, by means of a newly developed empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method which contributes to more efficient instantaneous multi-mode identification and analysis, new characteristics of a multi-mode “lock-in” vibration process of a large-scale flexible pipe subject to shear flow were discussed. Because the two-degree vibration along the span can be analyzed simultaneously, the effects of multi-mode VIV were investigated systematically. From the given illustrative examples, it was found that the vibration energy diffusion between the fluid and the structure, and among the participating modes, may be repeatable and reversible, or even irreversible, which causes VIV to be highly intricate. The coexistence of multiple modes, energy transfer, and mode switching/jump is observed when the reduced velocity is relatively high. The multi-dominant mode phenomenon is also found in both cross-flow (CF) and in-line (IL) VIVs. Energy transfers between the CF and IL directions occasionally occur, and CF VIV is apt to dominate the vibration process, because it is superior to IL VIV with the increment of the reduced velocity.     

Analytical solution of mean top tension of long flexible riser in modeling vortex-induced vibrations

The vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of flexible long riser with combined in-line and cross-flow motion has been studied using a wake oscillator in this paper. The analytical solution of mean top tension of long flexible riser is evaluated and compared with experimental results, and good agreement is observed to verify its validity. Then the nonlinear coupled dynamics of the in-line and cross-flow VIV of a long tension-dominated riser were analyzed through wake oscillator model with the consideration of variation of the mean top tension. The in-line and cross-flow resonant frequencies, lift and drag coefficients, dominant mode numbers, amplitudes and instantaneous deflections are reported and compared with experimental results, and excellent agreements are observed. The comparison of mode numbers between the calculation with and without consideration of variation of mean top tension shows that the proposed analytical solution of the mean top tension can produce a better prediction of multi-mode VIV.     

Effect of upward internal flow on dynamics of riser model subject to shear current

Numerical study about vortex-induced vibration(VIV) related to a flexible riser model in consideration of internal flow progressing inside has been performed.The main objective of this work is to investigate the coupled fluid-structure interaction(FSI) taking place between tensioned riser model,external shear current and upward-progressing internal flow(from ocean bottom to surface).A CAE technology behind the current research which combines structural software with the CFD technology has been proposed.According to the result from dynamic analysis,it has been found that the existence of upward-progressing internal flow does play an important role in determining the vibration mode(/dominant frequency),vibration intensity and the magnitude of instantaneous vibration amplitude,when the velocity ratio of internal flow against external current is relatively high.As a rule,the larger the velocity of internal flow is,the more it contributes to the dynamic vibration response of the flexible riser model.In addition,multi-modal vibration phenomenon has been widely observed,for asymmetric curvature along the riser span emerges in the case of external shear current being imposed.     

硬悬挂钻井隔水管涡激振动特性研究

针对深水钻井过程中遭遇强台风,基于安全性考虑要求钻井平台悬挂隔水管提前撤离的问题,采用软件SHEAR7针对HYSY981钻井平台硬悬挂隔水管系统避台风撤离作业过程中,受南海一年一遇海流作用时诱发涡激振动(VIV)的情况,研究航速与悬挂长度对VIV特性的影响。研究表明,浮力块覆盖率越高,隔水管系统张力越小;浮力块分布对隔水管系统VIV响应影响较大,25%交错布置方案VIV响应最弱。隔水管并非越短越好,要综合考虑洋流剖面、隔水管配置和平台航行的影响;在不同悬挂长度及航行条件下的VIV响应,在撤离作业前应尽量避免在高流速区布置浮力单根,撤离作业时应尽量采用顺流而避免平台逆流航向。     

Numerical Prediction of Vortex Induced Vibrations on Top Tensioned Riser in Consideration of Internal Flow

In consideration of the effect of the internal flowing fluid and the external marine environmental condition on the vortex-induced vibration （VIV） of top tensioned riser （Till）, the differential equation is derived based on work-energy principles and the riser near wake dynamics is modeled by Facchinetti＇ s wake oscillator model. Then Galerkin＇ s finite element approximation is implemented to derive the nonlinear matrix equation of the coupled equations and file corresponding numerical programs are compiled which solve the coupled equations directly in the time domain. The comparison of the predicted results with the recent experimental results and the prediction of SHEAR7 is performed. The results show the validity of the proposed method on the prediction of VIV of deep water risers. The effect of internal flow on the dynamic characteristics and dynmnic response of the riser is analyzed and several valuable conelusions are drawn.     

Experimental Investigation on Vortex-Induced Vibration of Steel Catenary Riser

Steel catenary riser(SCR) is the transmission device between the seabed and the floating production facilities. As developments move into deeper water, the fatigue life of the riser can become critical to the whole production system, especially due to the vortex-induced vibration(VIV), which is the key factor to operational longevity. As a result, experimental investigation about VIV of the riser was performed in a large plane pool which is 60 m long, 36 m wide and 6.5 m deep. Experiments were developed to study the influence of current speed and seabed on VIV of SCR. The results show that amplitudes of strain and response frequencies increase with the current speed both in cross-flow(CF) and in-line(IL). When the current speed is high, multi-mode response is observed in the VIV motion. The amplitudes of strain in IL direction are not much smaller than those in CF direction. The seabed has influence on the response frequencies of riser and the positions of damage for riser.     

Numerical Prediction of Vortex-Induced Vibrations on Top Tensioned Riser in Consideration of Internal Flow

In consideration of the effect of the internal flowing fluid and the external marine environmental condition on the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of top tensioned riser (TTR), the differential equation is derived based on work-energy principles and the riser near wake dynamics is modeled by Facchinetti''s wake oscillator model.Then Galerkin''s finite element approximation is implemented to derive the nonlinear matrix equation of the coupled equations and the corresponding numerical programs are compiled which solve the coupled equations directly in the timedomain. The comparison of the predicted results with the recent experimental results and the prediction of SHEAR7is performed. The results show the validity of the proposed method on the prediction of VIV of deep water risers.The effect of internal flow on the dynamic characteristics and dynamic response of the riser is analyzed and severalvaluable conclusions are drawn.     

海洋立管复模态动力特性分析

考虑阻尼的影响,研究海洋立管的动力特性。通过分析管内流体及管外海洋环境荷载的共同作用,建立海洋立管涡激振动偏微分方程,进而得到立管动力特性方程,用复模态分析法求解动力特性方程得到立管考虑阻尼的自振频率。算例计算表明:考虑阻尼的立管自振频率略小于不考虑阻尼的立管自振频率;立管的自振频率随着内流流速的增加而减小,但内流流速不大时,影响较小;管道长度对立管的自振频率影响较大。     

Experimental Investigation on Vortex-Induced Vibration of Steel Catenary Riser

Steel catenary riser (SCR) is the transmission device between the seabed and the floating production facilities. As developments move into deeper water, the fatigue life of the riser can become critical to the whole production system, especially due to the vortex-induced vibration (VIV), which is the key factor to operational longevity. As a result, experimental investigation about VIV of the riser was performed in a large plane pool which is 60 m long, 36 m wide and 6.5 m deep. Experiments were developed to study the influence of current speed and seabed on VIV of SCR. The results show that amplitudes of strain and response frequencies increase with the current speed both in cross-flow (CF) and in-line (IL). When the current speed is high, multi-mode response is observed in the VIV motion. The amplitudes of strain in IL direction are not much smaller than those in CF direction. The seabed has influence on the response frequencies of riser and the positions of damage for riser.     

Experimental Study on Response Performance of VIV of A Flexible Riser with Helical Strakes

Laboratory tests were conducted on a flexible riser with and without helical strakes. The aim of the present work is to further understand the response performance of the vortex induced vibration (VIV) for a riser with helical strakes. The experiment was accomplished in the towing tank and the relative current was simulated by towing a flexible riser in one direction. Based on the modal analysis method, the displacement responses can be obtained by the measured strain. The strakes with different heights are analyzed here, and the response parameters like strain response and displacement response are studied. The experimental results show that the in-line (IL) response is as important as the cross-flow (CF) response, however, many industrial analysis methods usually ignore the IL response due to VIV. The results also indicate that the response characteristics of a bare riser can be quite distinct from that of a riser with helical strakes, and the response performance depends on the geometry on the helical strakes closely. The fatigue damage is further discussed and the results show that the fatigue damage in the CF direction is of the same order as that in the IL direction for the bare riser. However, for the riser with helical strakes, the fatigue damage in the CF direction is much smaller than that in the IL direction.     

Experimental Study on Response Performance of VIV of A Flexible Riser with Helical Strakes

Laboratory tests were conducted on a flexible riser with and without helical strakes. The aim of the present work is to further understand the response performance of the vortex induced vibration(VIV) for a riser with helical strakes. The experiment was accomplished in the towing tank and the relative current was simulated by towing a flexible riser in one direction. Based on the modal analysis method, the displacement responses can be obtained by the measured strain. The strakes with different heights are analyzed here, and the response parameters like strain response and displacement response are studied. The experimental results show that the in-line(IL) response is as important as the cross-flow(CF) response, however, many industrial analysis methods usually ignore the IL response due to VIV. The results also indicate that the response characteristics of a bare riser can be quite distinct from that of a riser with helical strakes, and the response performance depends on the geometry on the helical strakes closely. The fatigue damage is further discussed and the results show that the fatigue damage in the CF direction is of the same order as that in the IL direction for the bare riser. However, for the riser with helical strakes, the fatigue damage in the CF direction is much smaller than that in the IL direction.     

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.     

Non-parametric prediction of the long-term fatigue damage for an instrumented top-tensioned riser

Marine risers are susceptible to sustained vortex-induced vibration (VIV) because of their slenderness and light damping. Commonly used tools for analyzing VIV and the associated fatigue damage are based on the finite element method and rely on simplifying assumptions on the riser's physical model, the flow conditions, and characteristics of the response. In order to assess the influence of VIV and to ensure the integrity of the riser, field monitoring campaigns are often undertaken wherein data loggers such as strain sensors and/or accelerometers are installed on such risers. Given the recorded riser's dynamic response, empirical techniques can be used in VIV-related fatigue estimation. These empirical techniques make direct use of the measurements and are intrinsically dependent on the actual current profiles. Damage estimation can be undertaken for the different current profiles encountered and can account explicitly even for complex riser response characteristics. With a significant amount of data, “short-term” fatigue damage probability distributions, conditional on current, can be established. If the relative frequency of different current types is known from a separate metocean study, the short-term fatigue damage distributions can be combined with the current distributions to yield an integrated “long-term” fatigue damage model, which then can be used to predict the long-term cumulative fatigue damage for the instrumented riser. Non-parametric statistical techniques (that do not assume a specific function for the underlying distribution as parametric techniques do) are employed to describe the short-term fatigue damage data. In this study, data from the Norwegian Deepwater Programme (NDP) model riser experiments are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of empirical procedures and non-parametric statistics applied to field measurements to predict long-term fatigue damage, life, and probability of fatigue failure.     

Analysis and prediction of vortex-induced vibrations of variable-tension vertical risers in linearly sheared currents

Many studies have tackled the problem of vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of a vertical riser with a constant tension and placed in uniform currents. In this study, attention is focused on the cross-flow VIV modelling, time-domain analysis and prediction of variable-tension vertical risers in linearly sheared currents. The partial-differential equation governing the riser transverse motion is based on a flexural tensioned-beam model with typical pinned-pinned supports. The hydrodynamic excitation model describing the modulation of lift force is based on a distributed van der Pol wake oscillator whose nonlinear equation is also partial-differential due to the implementation of a diffusion term. The variation of empirical wake coefficients with system parameters and the water depth-dependent Reynolds number is introduced. Based on the assumed Fourier mode shape functions obtained by accounting for the effect of non-uniform tension, the Galerkin technique is utilized to construct a low-dimensional multi-mode model governing the coupled fluid-riser interaction system due to VIV. Numerical simulations in the case of varying sheared flow profiles are carried out to systematically evaluate riser nonlinear dynamics and highlight the influence of fluid-structure parameters along with associated VIV aspects. In particular, the effects of shear and tensioned-beam (tension versus bending) parameters are underlined. Some comparisons with published experimental results and observations are qualitatively and quantitatively discussed. Overall parametric analysis and prediction results may be worthwhile for being a new benchmark against future experimental testing and/or numerical results predicted by an alternative model and methodology.     

Simplified Prediction Model for Vortex-Induced Vibrations of Top Tensioned Risers

According to the characteristics of deepwater top tensioned risers, a simplified model is presented to predict the multi-modal response of vortex-induced vibration （VIV） in non-uniform flow based on energy equilibrium theory and the exporimental data from VIV self-excited and forced oscillations of rigid cylinders. The response amplitude of each mode is determined by a balance between the energy fed into the riser over the lock-in regions and the energy dissipated by the fluid damping over the remainders. Compared with the previous prediction models, this method can take fully account of the intrinsic nature of VIV for low mass ratio structures on lock-in regions, added mass and nonlinear fluid damping effect, etc. Moreover, it is the first time to propose the accurate calculating procedure for VIV amplitude correction factor by solving energy equilibrium equation and a closed form solution is presented for the case of a riser of uniform mass and cross-section oscillating in a uniform flow. The predicted values show a reasonable agreement with VIV experiments of riser models in stepped and sheared currents.