Numerical Simulation of the Force Acting on the Riser by Two Internal Solitary Waves

Abstract

An internal wave is a typical dynamic process. As an internal wave, an internal solitary wave usually occurs between two layers of fluids with different densities. Compared with general internal waves, internal solitary waves have large amplitudes, fast propagation speeds, short-wave periods, and often have tremendous energy. The propagation causes strong convergence and divergence of seawater and generates a sudden strong current. Due to its various characteristics, the propagation of internal solitary waves can cause serious harm to offshore engineering structures. Therefore, studying the effects of internal solitary waves on risers is vital in preventing environmental pollution caused by riser damage. Although the research on internal solitary waves has achieved very fruitful results, the research on structures is mostly focused on a single condition, and the occurrence of internal solitary wave, as a complex ocean phenomenon, is often accompanied by many situations. Therefore, this paper constructs a numerical simulation of the interaction between two columns of internal solitary waves and risers. This study explores the force and flow field changes of the riser under the condition of multiple internal solitary waves using the Star-CCM+ software in the simulation. The improved K-epsilon turbulence model was adopted to close the three-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equation, and the solitary wave solution of the eKdV equation was used as the initial and boundary conditions. The interaction between single and double internal solitary waves and a riser was calculated, compared, and analyzed using numerical analysis. The experiment results indicate that the conditions of two internal solitary waves differ from those of a single internal solitary wave. After colliding at the riser, the waves gradually merge into a single wave, and the flow field reaches its minimum velocity. Under the two-wave condition, the horizontal force on the riser as a whole is less than the single-wave condition. As the amplitude difference between the two internal solitary waves gradually decreases, the horizontal opposing force received by the riser first increases and then decreases, while the horizontal positive force gradually decreases.

Keywords

• internal solitary wave
• vertical riser
• numerical simulation
• load characteristics
• environmental