Coupled CFD and FEA to Predict the Dynamic Structural Response of Modern Cruise Ship Deck Outfitting due to Wind-Induced Vibrations

Abstract

Recent market trends in the cruise industry aim to provide land-based attractions on mega-cruise liners deck amusements. The structures used are mega-lightweight structures that comprise of slender beams to reduce added weight. They may be subject to dynamic wind-induced resonance as a result of fluctuating forces due to vortex shedding occurring close to the natural frequency of the structure. This paper investigates the structural responses due to wind-induced vibrations in the context of a ship deck outfitting by coupling CFD and FEA. The simulations are performed using one- and two-way coupling FSI to gain insights into the differences between the predicted responses. A deck amusement structure is idealized as an aluminum portal frame subjected to a constant head wind. Transient one- and two-way coupled simulations, based on Reynolds-Averaged Naiver-Stokes (RANS) and linear elastic 3D FEA are conducted. The predictions are compared against quasi-dynamic beam element idealizations.

Investigation of Effect of Wind-Induced Vibration on Typical Frame Structures on the Open Decks of Large Cruise Ships Based on the Subdomain Method

“…Nevertheless, luxury cruise ships boast intricate and elevated superstructures, rendering them vulnerable to wind-induced effects. Moreover, the open decks are densely packed with lightweight entertainment facilities [3]. The presence of the bow and forward structures significantly impacts the wind distribution on the aft open deck, leading to complex and pronounced wind loads.…”

“…However, wind tunnel test costs are quite high, and the research could be constrained by wind tunnel devices. With the development of computing technology, many scholars have investigated wind-induced vibration by using fluid-structure interaction simulations [3,25,26]. Fluid-structure interaction wind vibration simulations typically encompass one-way fluid-structure interaction [27][28][29] and two-way fluid-structure interaction [30][31][32].…”

“…Several researchers [33,34] separately evaluated the one-way FSI and the two-way FSI method, concluding that the two-way FSI approach exhibits superior stability. Eetu Kivelä [3] investigated the differences between one-way and two-way FSI simulations in analyzing the wind-induced vibration of amusement structures on cruise ships' decks. The results of the study revealed that two-way FSI computations yielded considerably greater lift forces and structural displacements compared to one-way FSI.…”

“…The experiments encompassed both the rigid force test and wind-induced vibration test. According to the design requirements of typical structural qualities, boundary conditions, and material properties of the open deck, a plate structure was selected as the subject [3], with the lower section affixed as a fixed boundary condition. The material was steel.…”