Vortex-induced vibration on a subsea riser
Unsteady 2D-strip and 3D URANS runs across the lock-in range to characterise cross-flow amplitude and fatigue loading ahead of a structural review.
Problem
A subsea riser section needed a fatigue-loading estimate driven by vortex shedding across a range of current speeds, ahead of a structural integrity review that would decide on strake fitment.
Approach
Cross-flow response was mapped using coupled fluid–structure runs in pimpleFoam across the reduced-velocity range spanning the lock-in region, where shedding frequency locks to the structure's natural frequency and amplitude peaks. Results were cross-checked against the wide experimental VIV database summarised in the review literature.
Outcome
The lock-in range and peak cross-flow amplitude were characterised well enough to hand a defensible fatigue-loading input to the structural team, ahead of a decision on helical strakes.
// CANONICAL REFERENCES
The literature behind this run
- Sarpkaya, T. (2004). A Critical Review of the Intrinsic Nature of Vortex-Induced Vibrations. Journal of Fluids and Structures, 19(4)
- Williamson, C. H. K. & Govardhan, R. (2004). Vortex-Induced Vibrations. Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 36
- Bearman, P. W. (1984). Vortex Shedding from Oscillating Bluff Bodies. Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 16
These are the foundational papers the underlying method or validation approach is built on — not client deliverables. Full citation details are provided so the physics can be checked independently.
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