Optimization of Clamp Numbers and Positions to Mitigate Flow-Induced Vibration in High-Speed Fluid Flow Through a Pipe Elbow

Abstract

Vibration in pipe systems can cause fatigue failure, cracking, and life cycle reduction. This paper aims to mitigate flow-induced vibration (FIV) in a pipeline system by finding optimal clamping locations and numbers through simulation. The simulation is based on one-way Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) methodology. The goal is to obtain the vibration signal in the form of acceleration in the time domain and then analyze it in the frequency domain to find amplitudes of concern. Previous investigations on the analysis of clamp locations based on vibration-damping characteristics have been proven to be time-consuming and inaccurate. This project aims to use the Ansys Workbench to perform the numerical analysis of fluid passing through a 90-degree pipe elbow by integrating Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with the Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The study also outlines a workflow to use the acceleration data from the FEA to analyze the vibration-damping properties of a standard clamp suitable for the chosen pipe parameters. The clamp locations are optimized by analyzing 15 different possible locations and the number of clamps is optimized by analyzing the vibration and displacement of the pipe during fluid flow. Two optimal clamp locations were found for a chosen pipe segment. This process gives an insight into a quick and accurate way of optimizing clamp locations and numbers based on their effect on the vibration of a complex pipeline system.