Study on Vortex-Induced Vibration of Deep-Water Marine Drilling Risers in Linearly Sheared Flows in consideration of Changing Added Mass

Abstract

In order to more accurately predict the coupled in-line and cross-flow vortex-induced vibration (VIV) response of deep-water marine drilling risers in linearly sheared flows, an improved three-dimensional time-domain coupled model based on van der Pol wake oscillator models was established in this paper. The impact of the in-line and cross-flow changing added mass coefficients was taken into account in the model. The finite element, Newmark-β, and Newton–Raphson methods were adopted to solve the coupled nonlinear partial differential equations. The entire numerical solution process was realized by a self-developed program based on MATLAB. Comparisons between the numerical calculations and the published experimental tests showed that the improved model can more accurately predict some main features of the coupled in-line and cross-flow VIV of long slender flexible risers in linearly sheared flows to some extent. The coupled in-line and cross-flow VIV of a real-size marine drilling riser, usually used in the deep-water oil/gas industry in the South China Sea, was analyzed. The influence of top tension force and seawater flow speed, as well as platform heave amplitude and frequency, on the riser in-line and cross-flow VIV was also discussed. The results show that the platform heave motion increases the VIV displacements and changes the magnitudes of peak frequencies as well as the components of frequencies. The platform heave motion also has a significant influence on the vibration modes of the middle and upper sections of the riser. The impact level of each factor on the in-line and cross-flow VIV response of the riser is different. The improved model and the results of this paper can be used as a reference for the engineering design of deep-water marine drilling risers.