Onshore and offshore structures are subject of strict safety regulations, and acceptable design implies requirements for accurate models of potentially dangerous phenomena. The phenomenon of Vortex-Induced Vibrations (VIVs) develops when a slender structure interacts with a fluid flow. Vortices grow in the disturbed boundary layer and spread behind the structure, resulting in fluctuations of the fluid forces acting on the body. Slender structures are present almost everywhere in the form of tall buildings and skyscrapers, cranes, antennas, power lines, suspension bridges, umbilicals, risers and free spans of pipelines which deliver water, oil and gas. The deeper in the water and higher in the sky these structures are, more likely they can experience VIVs and the lock-in state due to the exposure to various flow profiles. The wake oscillator method allows to model fluid variables during VIV lock-in using self-excited and self-limited oscillators of Van der Pol or Rayleigh type. In this research, the capabilities of alternative nonlinear oscillators as fluid equations are considered for modelling elastically supported rigid structures with one and two degrees-of-freedom in uniform flow. For modelling two-dimensional flexible structures in uniform and sheared flows, new wake oscillator models are developed in this work and applied with alternative damping terms. The dynamics of the uniform flow model of flexible structure is investigated in detail with the focus on coexisting solutions of the displacement amplitudes. Empirical coefficients for wake oscillator models are calibrated in this study using constrained nonlinear minimization and experimental data available in the literature. The validation performed confirms the most successful results for the suite of models of 2DOF rigid structure for low mass ratio, where agreement with both in-line and cross-flow displacement records was obtained.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: A.D. Kirwan, College of Marine and Earth Studies. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Keyword: turbulence. Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-78).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xviii, 130 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-104).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on Dec. 31, 2009). "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Physics, University of Alberta." Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-77).

Thesis--M. Phil., University of Hong Kong.

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Recent observations and numerical simulations have significantly improved our understanding of tornadic storms. However, our knowledge of tornado-genesis remains rudimentary. Necessary atmospheric conditions favoring the formation of tornadoes in supercell storms are known, but sufficient conditions remain elusive. The underlying reason is that the processes involved in environment-storm and storm-tornado interactions are not fully understood, as numerical models in the past lacked sufficient resolution to resolve these interactions satisfactorily. In this thesis, an attempt is made to fill this gap by performing a multi-grid high resolution simulation of a supercell storm spawning a tornado-like vortex. Four grids, with grid sizes of 600 m, 200 m, 70 m, and 30 m, are used to allow explicit simulation of storm-tornado interactions. Diagnostic analysis of the modeling results allows an investigation of the origin of rotation at both the storm scale and the tornado scale. / The simulation results showed that the origin of vertical rotation at storm scale during the early stage of storm development is due to tilting of the horizontal vorticity in the environment. This so called mesocyclone then further strengthens by the mechanism of stretching and Dynamic Pipe Effect and descends downwards. During the time of mesocyclone intensification, incipient surface vertical vortices form along the outflow boundary created by the rear flank downdraft due to the process of horizontal shear instability. / One of the surface vortices experiences an initial exponential growth in its vorticity by interacting with the descending mesocyclone and merging with multiple smaller satellite vortices. The tornado-like vortex (TLV) which forms has a maximum horizontal wind of 103 m s-1 and a minimum central pressure of 927 hPa. Vorticity budgets of the mesocyclone and the TLV are computed to assess quantitatively the importance of various processes for rotation. / Sensitivity experiments were also performed to determine the effect of varying the environmental conditions on the mesocyclone and surface vorticity. It was found that as the low-level vertical shear of the environmental wind increases, the mesocyclone intensifies and favors the intensification of near surface vorticity. The presence of drier layers in the upper and middle troposphere eventually produces a weaker mesocyclone and weaker outflow boundaries. On the other hand, inclusion of the ice phase processes produces a stronger mesocyclone and more intense outflow boundaries to enhance the intensification of near surface vorticity.

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