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

Abstract

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.