Reduction of vortex induced forces and motion through surface roughness control

Patent · 01 April 2014

OSTI ID:1129081

Bernitsas, Michael M; Raghavan, Kamaldev

Roughness is added to the surface of a bluff body in a relative motion with respect to a fluid. The amount, size, and distribution of roughness on the body surface is controlled passively or actively to modify the flow around the body and subsequently the Vortex Induced Forces and Motion (VIFM). The added roughness, when designed and implemented appropriately, affects in a predetermined way the boundary layer, the separation of the boundary layer, the level of turbulence, the wake, the drag and lift forces, and consequently the Vortex Induced Motion (VIM), and the fluid-structure interaction. The goal of surface roughness control is to decrease/suppress Vortex Induced Forces and Motion. Suppression is required when fluid-structure interaction becomes destructive as in VIM of flexible cylinders or rigid cylinders on elastic support, such as underwater pipelines, marine risers, tubes in heat exchangers, nuclear fuel rods, cooling towers, SPAR offshore platforms.

• Research Organization: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FG36-05GO15162
• Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Patent Number(s): 8,684,040
• Application Number: 12/125,409
• OSTI ID: 1129081
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS