CFD analysis of spar vortex-induced motions in uniform and sheared flows

Spar offshore platform, characterized by its deep draft with vertical columnar hull shape, is subject to Vortex-Induced Motions (VIM). The hurricane and loop current, whose velocity profile are highly non-uniform along the vertical direction, are common current events in the Gulf of Mexico. The present study numerically investigates the VIM response of a Spar platform in uniform and sheared currents based on a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach. The incompressible finite volume solver naoe-FOAM-SJTU is used for all the computations and the Detached-Eddy Simulations (DES) is selected for turbulence closure. Moreover, the effects of different reduced velocities on VIM response are also discussed.