Advances in ALE based fluid-structure interaction modeling for offshore engineering applications

Abstract

The nonlinear dynamic analysis of fluid-structure interactions has been given increased attention during recent years in offshore applications, e.g., drilling and production risers, subsea pipelines, mooring lines, marine cables and offshore platforms. This paper presents ALE based fluid-structure interaction methods for the offshore problems where the ALE methods are practical approach to couple existing fluid and structure solvers. From both the design and operational standpoint, it is important to be able to predict the hydrodynamic forces and motion of such structures caused by fluid-structure coupling. Due to the complexity of the hydroelastic problem, theoretical and semi-empirical models remain incomplete and problem specific. Typically, the simplified models rely on the force input as well as the added mass coefficient and geometric correlation parameters. Until recently, prediction of hydroelastic interactions and vortex-induced vibrations were primarily based on such semi-empirical methods. Our objective is to present some numerical developments to solve fluid flows with structural interactions. In particular, we are interested in realistic simulations of offshore applications involving low mass bodies such as flexible marine risers/cables with vortex-induced vibrations.