Vortex-Induced Vibration Characteristics of an Underwater Manipulator

Abstract

In the ocean, the vortex-induced vibration response of underwater manipulators is complex and changeable. In this study, a two-dimensional CFD simulation method is utilized to investigate the vortex-induced vibration characteristics of an underwater manipulator under various attitudes within the subcritical range. The vibration displacement, frequency, trajectory, and flow field characteristics of the underwater manipulator are analyzed in different tandem arrangements and flow velocities. Results showed that the sectional trajectories of the underwater manipulator were symmetric about the y-axis. Moreover, when arm 2 was in the second quadrant, its own displacement was small, and the displacement of the downstream circular section decreased by 28.31%. The transverse displacement of arm 2 in the fourth quadrant was the smallest, which was reduced by 87.87%. Meanwhile, with the increase in flow velocity, the vortex-induced vibration response was weak due to the streamlining sectional shape of the underwater manipulator. Additionally, the trajectory in the downstream direction moved to the rear of the origin, and this change was most obvious on the circular section. This study provides theoretical guidance for the accurate positioning of underwater manipulators.

Keywords

Underwater manipulator / Vortex-induced vibration / Trajectory / Vortex shedding / Overlapping mesh method

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Harbin Engineering University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature