A Numerical Method to Solve the Static Problem of a Catenary Riser

Author(s):  
Lauro Massao Yamada da Silveira ◽  
Clo´vis de Arruda Martins

The static configuration of a catenary riser can be obtained, with a good approximation, by a perfectly flexible cable model. However, such a model cannot deal with all the boundary conditions, as for an ideal cable there is no continuity of curvature at the touchdown point, at the top and at the points where there is change in the submerged weight. At the touchdown region, for instance, the cable model overestimates the maximum curvature. For real risers, the bending stiffness effect is relevant only at small boundary layers around the points where the cable model cannot represent well the curvature continuity. This represents a big problem in the numerical integration of the differential equation of the riser, as the leading order term is very small. One approach that can be adopted is to use firstly a perfect cable model and correct later the results with analytical expressions obtained from a boundary layer method. For a two-dimensional formulation it was already shown that this approach is very good. For a three-dimensional formulation, however, such expressions are very difficult to derive and the problem must be solved numerically. This work presents a numerical method to solve the differential equation of a catenary riser, including the bending stiffness. The results obtained are compared to analytical boundary layer solutions, for a two-dimensional case, and to a full nonlinear well-known commercial computer code.

Author(s):  
Lauro Massao Yamada da Silveira ◽  
Clo´vis de Arruda Martins

Numerical integration of the governing differential equations of three-dimensional riser statics may experiment large stability problems due to the inclusion of bending stiffness, as the leading order term becomes usually very small. These numerical problems may be avoided by working with a perfectly flexible cable model. However, such a model cannot deal with all the boundary conditions, as for an ideal cable there is no continuity of curvature at the touchdown point, at the top and at the points where there is change in the submerged weight. At the touchdown region, for instance, the perfectly flexible cable model overestimates the maximum curvature. To overcome these difficulties, one approach that can be adopted is to use firstly a perfectly flexible cable model and correct later the results with analytical expressions obtained from a boundary layer method. This approach is based on the fact that bending stiffness is relevant only at small boundary layers around the points where the perfectly flexible cable model cannot represent the curvature continuity. For a two-dimensional formulation it was already shown that this approach is very good. For a three-dimensional formulation, however, the analytical expressions become too cumbersome, the authors could not so far find an exact analytical solution and, therefore, the problem must be solved numerically. Another possible approach is to use finite elements method, as many full nonlinear commercial softwares do. However, it is not difficult to face convergence problems. This work presents a numerical method to solve the set of differential equations of the three-dimensional riser statics, including the bending stiffness. The results obtained are compared to a full nonlinear well-known commercial computer code.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Zheng Yuan ◽  
Jin Jiang ◽  
Jun Zang ◽  
Qihu Sheng ◽  
Ke Sun ◽  
...  

In the array design of the vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT), the wake effect of the upstream VAWT on the downstream VAWT needs to be considered. In order to simulate the velocity distribution of a VAWT wake rapidly, a new two-dimensional numerical method is proposed, which can make the array design easier and faster. In this new approach, the finite vortex method and vortex particle method are combined to simulate the generation and evolution of the vortex, respectively, the fast multipole method (FMM) is used to accelerate the calculation. Based on a characteristic of the VAWT wake, that is, the velocity distribution can be fitted into a power-law function, a new correction model is introduced to correct the three-dimensional effect of the VAWT wake. Finally, the simulation results can be approximated to the published experimental results in the first-order. As a new numerical method to simulate the complex VAWT wake, this paper proves the feasibility of the method and makes a preliminary validation. This method is not used to simulate the complex three-dimensional turbulent evolution but to simulate the velocity distribution quickly and relatively accurately, which meets the requirement for rapid simulation in the preliminary array design.


2001 ◽  
Vol 432 ◽  
pp. 69-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
RUDOLPH A. KING ◽  
KENNETH S. BREUER

An experimental investigation was conducted to examine acoustic receptivity and subsequent boundary-layer instability evolution for a Blasius boundary layer formed on a flat plate in the presence of two-dimensional and oblique (three-dimensional) surface waviness. The effect of the non-localized surface roughness geometry and acoustic wave amplitude on the receptivity process was explored. The surface roughness had a well-defined wavenumber spectrum with fundamental wavenumber kw. A planar downstream-travelling acoustic wave was created to temporally excite the flow near the resonance frequency of an unstable eigenmode corresponding to kts = kw. The range of acoustic forcing levels, ε, and roughness heights, Δh, examined resulted in a linear dependence of receptivity coefficients; however, the larger values of the forcing combination εΔh resulted in subsequent nonlinear development of the Tollmien–Schlichting (T–S) wave. This study provides the first experimental evidence of a marked increase in the receptivity coefficient with increasing obliqueness of the surface waviness in excellent agreement with theory. Detuning of the two-dimensional and oblique disturbances was investigated by varying the streamwise wall-roughness wavenumber αw and measuring the T–S response. For the configuration where laminar-to-turbulent breakdown occurred, the breakdown process was found to be dominated by energy at the fundamental and harmonic frequencies, indicative of K-type breakdown.


1995 ◽  
Vol 291 ◽  
pp. 369-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald D. Joslin

The spatial evolution of three-dimensional disturbances in an attachment-line boundary layer is computed by direct numerical simulation of the unsteady, incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Disturbances are introduced into the boundary layer by harmonic sources that involve unsteady suction and blowing through the wall. Various harmonic-source generators are implemented on or near the attachment line, and the disturbance evolutions are compared. Previous two-dimensional simulation results and nonparallel theory are compared with the present results. The three-dimensional simulation results for disturbances with quasi-two-dimensional features indicate growth rates of only a few percent larger than pure two-dimensional results; however, the results are close enough to enable the use of the more computationally efficient, two-dimensional approach. However, true three-dimensional disturbances are more likely in practice and are more stable than two-dimensional disturbances. Disturbances generated off (but near) the attachment line spread both away from and toward the attachment line as they evolve. The evolution pattern is comparable to wave packets in flat-plate boundary-layer flows. Suction stabilizes the quasi-two-dimensional attachment-line instabilities, and blowing destabilizes these instabilities; these results qualitatively agree with the theory. Furthermore, suction stabilizes the disturbances that develop off the attachment line. Clearly, disturbances that are generated near the attachment line can supply energy to attachment-line instabilities, but suction can be used to stabilize these instabilities.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 12549-12572 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. Berner ◽  
C. S. Bretherton ◽  
R. Wood ◽  
A. Muhlbauer

Abstract. A cloud-resolving model (CRM) coupled to a new intermediate-complexity bulk aerosol scheme is used to study aerosol–boundary-layer–cloud–precipitation interactions and the development of pockets of open cells (POCs) in subtropical stratocumulus cloud layers. The aerosol scheme prognoses mass and number concentration of a single lognormal accumulation mode with surface and entrainment sources, evolving subject to processing of activated aerosol and scavenging of dry aerosol by clouds and rain. The CRM with the aerosol scheme is applied to a range of steadily forced cases idealized from a well-observed POC. The long-term system evolution is explored with extended two-dimensional (2-D) simulations of up to 20 days, mostly with diurnally averaged insolation and 24 km wide domains, and one 10 day three-dimensional (3-D) simulation. Both 2-D and 3-D simulations support the Baker–Charlson hypothesis of two distinct aerosol–cloud "regimes" (deep/high-aerosol/non-drizzling and shallow/low-aerosol/drizzling) that persist for days; transitions between these regimes, driven by either precipitation scavenging or aerosol entrainment from the free-troposphere (FT), occur on a timescale of ten hours. The system is analyzed using a two-dimensional phase plane with inversion height and boundary layer average aerosol concentrations as state variables; depending on the specified subsidence rate and availability of FT aerosol, these regimes are either stable equilibria or distinct legs of a slow limit cycle. The same steadily forced modeling framework is applied to the coupled development and evolution of a POC and the surrounding overcast boundary layer in a larger 192 km wide domain. An initial 50% aerosol reduction is applied to half of the model domain. This has little effect until the stratocumulus thickens enough to drizzle, at which time the low-aerosol portion transitions into open-cell convection, forming a POC. Reduced entrainment in the POC induces a negative feedback between the areal fraction covered by the POC and boundary layer depth changes. This stabilizes the system by controlling liquid water path and precipitation sinks of aerosol number in the overcast region, while also preventing boundary layer collapse within the POC, allowing the POC and overcast to coexist indefinitely in a quasi-steady equilibrium.


1989 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
pp. 403-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Laurien ◽  
L. Kleiser

The laminar-turbulent transition process in a parallel boundary-layer with Blasius profile is simulated by numerical integration of the three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using a spectral method. The model of spatially periodic disturbances developing in time is used. Both the classical Klebanoff-type and the subharmonic type of transition are simulated. Maps of the three-dimensional velocity and vorticity fields and visualizations by integrated fluid markers are obtained. The numerical results are compared with experimental measurements and flow visualizations by other authors. Good qualitative and quantitative agreement is found at corresponding stages of development up to the one-spike stage. After the appearance of two-dimensional Tollmien-Schlichting waves of sufficiently large amplitude an increasing three-dimensionality is observed. In particular, a peak-valley structure of the velocity fluctuations, mean longitudinal vortices and sharp spike-like instantaneous velocity signals are formed. The flow field is dominated by a three-dimensional horseshoe vortex system connected with free high-shear layers. Visualizations by time-lines show the formation of A-structures. Our numerical results connect various observations obtained with different experimental techniques. The initial three-dimensional steps of the transition process are consistent with the linear theory of secondary instability. In the later stages nonlinear interactions of the disturbance modes and the production of higher harmonics are essential.We also study the control of transition by local two-dimensional suction and blowing at the wall. It is shown that transition can be delayed or accelerated by superposing disturbances which are out of phase or in phase with oncoming Tollmien-Schlichting instability waves, respectively. Control is only effective if applied at an early, two-dimensional stage of transition. Mean longitudinal vortices remain even after successful control of the fluctuations.


1984 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Goldstein ◽  
J. Karni

A naphthalene sublimation technique is used to determine the circumferential and longitudinal variations of mass transfer from a smooth circular cylinder in a crossflow of air. The effect of the three-dimensional secondary flows near the wall-attached ends of a cylinder is discussed. For a cylinder Reynolds number of 19000, local enhancement of the mass transfer over values in the center of the tunnel are observed up to a distance of 3.5 cylinder diameters from the tunnel wall. In a narrow span extending from the tunnel wall to about 0.066 cylinder diameters above it (about 0.75 of the mainstream boundary layer displacement thickness), increases of 90 to 700 percent over the two-dimensional flow mass transfer are measured on the front portion of the cylinder. Farther from the wall, local increases of up to 38 percent over the two-dimensional values are measured. In this region, increases of mass transfer in the rear portion of the cylinder, downstream of separation, are, in general, larger and cover a greater span than the increases in the front portion of the cylinder.


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