VIV Prediction of a Truss Spar Pull-Tube Array Using CFD
Complex flows through cylinder arrays, such as the case of pull-tubes located in the truss section of a truss spar, are very difficult to describe and analyze. It is especially difficult to predict and correct Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) response using traditional tools that were developed to analyze single cylinder rather than arrays of cylinders. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) offers the designer the ability to properly analyze these complex problems and increase the reliability of his design. In this study, a full scale truss spar with pull-tubes is modeled using CFD coupled with an FEA structural model of the pull-tubes for a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) computation. The VIV response of the pull-tubes is predicted and analyzed for different current headings and speeds.