Vortex-Induced Dynamic Response Analysis for the Submerged Floating Tunnel System under the Effect of Currents

Abstract

This paper describes an investigation of vortex-induced vibrations in a submerged floating tunnel (SFT) system. A theoretical model for coupled tube-cable vibration was developed to evaluate the SFT structural dynamic response to water current. The differential equations of the cable and tube coupled motion were derived using the Hamilton principle, and approximate numerical analyses were carried out to determine the coupling effect between cable transverse vibrations and tube vertical vibrations. The results showed that the maximum amplitudes of the cables were greater than the initial disturbance when self-induced resonance occurred. Self-induced resonance can be caused by the vortex-induced vibration of the cables when the flow velocity reaches a certain value. The change in the tube-specific gravity ratio had little effect on the maximum vibration amplitudes of the tube and cables. The vibrations of the tube and cables were more sensitive to changes in the lift coefficient than to the added mass coefficient or the drag coefficient. The coupling effect of tube-cable vibration should be weaker with smaller cable angles; after careful consideration, a reasonable choice of angle for the cables was determined to be 45°.