Calculation of In-Line Vortex Induced Vibrations of Free Spanning Pipelines

Pure in-line (IL) vibrations will in many cases contribute significantly to fatigue damage for free spanning pipelines. This might be the case even if IL amplitudes are smaller than cross-flow (CF). While CF response has been subjected to research for a long time, little attention has so far been given to the pure IL VIV case. The hydrodynamic coefficients needed for response calculation have in fact not been available until recently, but results from forced IL oscillations have improved this situation. Data for added mass and force in IL direction has been used to establish a general response model along the same lines as for traditional CF response analysis. This has made it possible to calculate stresses from IL VIV in free spanning pipelines, and include the influence from interaction with the seafloor at the span shoulders. A brief presentation of the analysis method is given, but the main part of the paper gives results from a case study that illustrates important effects and the significance of IL response as compared to CF.