An experiment study of vortex induced vibration of a steel catenary riser under steady current

The vortex induced vibration (VIV) of marine risers has been investigated by many researchers in experimental studies of a straight flexible riser model as well as a rigid cylinder to reveal the dynamic response characteristic and the mechanics behind it. However, due to the limitation of experimental apparatus, very few studies are about the VIV of a steel catenary riser (SCR) which is with a complex geometry. To investigate the VIV features and to further develop the corresponding numerical predictions of a SCR under steady current, a large-scale model test of a SCR was towed in an ocean basin at various speeds. Fiber Bragg grating strain sensors are instrumented on the riser model to measure both in-plane and out-of-plane responses. The characteristics of oscillating amplitude and dominating frequency response, the phenomenon of mode competition and travelling wave and the fatigue damage of the steel catenary riser in inline and cross-flow direction under steady current are analyzed.