Model Test Study on Vortex-Induced Motions of a Floating Cylinder

Abstract

Vortex-Induced Motions (VIM) under current flow is an important issue for surface piercing cylinders, such as Spar platforms and floating buoys, since it affects the motion performance of these structures greatly. In recent years this phenomenon attracts much attention and many researchers have been making efforts to deal with this problem. VIM is such a complicated phenomenon that more fundamental studies are needed to understand the essence behind VIM. This paper mainly concentrates on a circular cylinder, aiming to eliminate outside influences and reveal the inherent characteristic of vortex-induced motion mechanism. A circular cylinder with an aspect ratio of 1:2.4, which could be considered as a scale model for the hard tank of a typical Truss Spar, is studied by experimental method to investigate the surrounding fluid field, the excitation forces and Vortex-Induced Motion characteristics under various governing parameters, such as the current velocity and direction, the mooring stiffness and distribution, the use and efficiency of helical strakes, and so on. By using a simple flow visualization system, the unsteady flow passing the circular cylinder and the vortices in the wake are captured and recorded. The cylinder is tested respectively under fixed, forced-motion and elastically moored conditions. The fluid field, the vortex structures, and the lift and drag forces under fixed and forced-motion conditions are measured, the VIM performance of the cylinder with two different mooring distributions are studied, and strake efficiency is studied considering current directionality and strake height influence.