Vortex-Induced Vibration (VIV) in offshore structures

• Grant number: 01/00054-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2002
• End date: December 31, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Naval and Oceanic Engineering - Hydrodynamics of Ships and Ocean Systems
• Principal Investigator: José Augusto Penteado Aranha
• Grantee: José Augusto Penteado Aranha
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Celso Pupo Pesce ; Julio Romano Meneghini

Abstract

The thematic project aims to investigate vortex-induced vibration (VIV) in offshore structures, I like risers and pipelines. With this project we intend to continue the activities of a previous Fapesp project (n. 94/3528-3). In this new venture we intend to attack the problem accordingly to four distinct, but complementary, sections: computational fluid dynamics (CFD), experiments, hydrodynamics stability and virtual reality. The project synthesis is the development of an analysis method that enables the estimation of risers and pipelines' life span when subject to marine currents.The intention of this project is to group a technical team that has been involved, along the past years with the VIV's problem and proposed partial solutions according to one of the cited approaches. Its intention now is to integrate this effort, exploring the distinct focuses complementarily, it is, in a last resort, answer, accordingly to the better possible form, to the matters raised by the concrete engineering problem associated to petroleum exploration in deep waters. The project is organized in five distinct sections, in which we will develop, in an integrated form, the VIV' s topic according to the specific approach. The thematic project intention must be emphasized, is to explore these methodologies complementarily. The two first sections have a more scientific characteristics, of seeking to understand the phenomenon by the confrontation between numeric simulations and experimental results; the fifth, on the other hand, has a more applied motivation, of developing a piece of software that enables the life span analysis of risers in the usual operational conditions. The third and fourth focus the fundamental role, of mediation between "scientific" and "applied"; they will try to translate important scientific aspects by employing simplified analytic models and advanced techniques of visualizations using virtual reality. Summarizing, we intend to verify if these models can be incorporated in a practical analysis methodology. (AU)