Numerical investigations of flow around subsea covers at high Reynolds numbers

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) numerical simulations of flow over wall-mounted rectangular and trapezoidal ribs subjected to a turbulent boundary layer flow with the normalized boundary layer thickness of δ/D = 0.73,1.96,2.52 (D is the height of the ribs) have been carried out by using the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations combined with the k – ω SST (Shear Stress Transport) turbulence model. The angles of the two side slopes of trapezoidal rib varies from 0° to 60°. The Reynolds number based on the free-stream velocity U∞ and D are 1 × 106 and 2 × 106. The results obtained from the present numerical simulations are in good agreement with the published experimental data. Furthermore, the effects of the angle of the two side slopes of the trapezoidal ribs, the Reynolds number and the boundary layer thickness on the hydrodynamic quantities are discussed.