Numerical Investigation on Flow-Induced Vibrations of Circular Sections in Tandem Arrangement Varying Relative Distance

Abstract The flow around a circular section has many applications in engineering, specifically in the offshore area, such as platforms, risers, pipelines, etc. These structures, which are submerged in water, are susceptible to flow-induced vibrations (FIV) and might oscillate at unwanted large amplitudes due to currents and waves. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a tool that allows the investigation of different parameters related to the flow and/or to the body. A CFD analysis is important in the initial design stage of riser arrangements, being a way to predict the best relative distance, since the flow around the upstream cylinder may strongly influence the downstream cylinder forces and movements responses, characteristic of wake-induced vibrations (WIV). In this context, this work carried out simulations to initiate numerical investigations about the flow around tandem arrangements and then properly identify characteristics of the fluid model that generate the results obtained in experiments. Two similar rigid circular cylinders in a tandem arrangement were analysed, in the stationary case and in the case allowed to move in two degrees of freedom (2DOF) — transverse and in-flow directions, with mass ratio m* = 10 and no structural damping, ζ = 0%. The computations were performed using OpenFOAM, a CFD open source software, in a two-dimensional flow and, numerical uncertainties studies were conducted to well define the results, presenting the value plus its uncertainty. There were variations of the tandem distances (T = 2D, 3D, 4D, 5.5D and 6D), at Reynolds number Re = 100. These two-dimensional flow simulations at low Re are important at the initial stage of a project, in order to filter the best results and save time for more advanced analysis. A single cylinder in a turbulent flow was also analysed, with m* = 2.52, varying reduced velocity. Analysis were done comparing forces coefficients and amplitudes with the literature, for both upstream and downstream cylinders. The vorticity was investigated, properly identifying vortex shedding pattern. For stationary cylinders, a critical distance of 4D was found, where the forces coefficients increase. For the 2DOF cylinders in laminar flow, the highest amplitude was 1.04D at VR = 7 for the downstream cylinder. When the cylinders are free to move, the initial tandem distance does not interfere the amplitude results of the upstream cylinder when VR > 2, results also found in experiments at high Re, and, that justify the two-dimensional studies in low Reynolds as being the basis of a project.