Energy extraction and optimization studies on vortex-induced vibration of the elastically mounted rigid cylinder using wake oscillator model

Abstract

The vortex-induced vibration (VIV) response of an elastically mounted rigid cylinder from the standpoint of energy harvesting is analyzed with the aid of the wake oscillator model (WOM). A model of an elastically mounted rigid cylinder free to oscillate in the in-line (IL) and cross-flow (CF) directions subjected to different uniform flow velocities is considered and its responses under different mass ratios are predicted using the modified wake oscillator model. For modeling structure motion, the dynamic equilibrium equation, and for modeling the fluid part, the Van der Pol wake oscillator is utilized and they are coupled together to get the response in IL and CF directions. A comparative study is performed between the numerical and the experimental results and they are found to be in good agreement. The study is then probed into the scope of energy extraction from VIV which will presumably throw light into the development of VIV-based energy harvesting methods which is a potential future hope for the renewable energy sector. Parametric optimization study is carried out to determine the maximum harnessable energy from VIV. The response of the cylinder for the optimal parametric combination is analyzed in the time and frequency domain. It is observed that damping and reduced velocity play a crucial role in the energy extraction.