Energy transformation on flow-induced motions of multiple cylindrical structures with various corner shapes

A comprehensive numerical study on flow-induced motions (FIMs) of a deep-draft semi-submersible, a typical multiple cylindrical structure in offshore engineering, was carried out to investigate the energy transformation of the vortex shedding process. In addition, the corner shape effect on the flow characteristics, the hydrodynamic forces, and the FIM responses are presented for a multiple cylindrical structure with various corner shapes (sharp, rounded, and chamfered) under 45 degrees current incidence. Different energy transformations, hydrodynamic characteristics, and FIM responses were observed due to the slight variation of the corner shape. The galloping at 45 degrees incidence for a square-section shape column was observed when the corner shape modified as a chamfered corner. A re-attached vortex shedding phenomenon is discovered when the lock-in happened for a chamfered corner design. Further insights of the fluid physics into the flow characteristics due to the difference of the corner shape are revealed. In addition, the energy transformation and the mechanism for reducing the hydrodynamic forces and the FIM responses are analyzed.