Wind tunnel experiments on finite-length circular cylinders with rolling base from subcritical to supercritical Reynolds numbers

Abstract

During the installation of offshore wind farms, towers without rotor-nacelle assembly stand, either alone or in group, first at the harbor quayside and later on the deck of the installation vessel. In these scenarios, wind turbine towers can be modeled as finite-length circular cylinders subjected to wind loads, while during sea transit the towers are additionally subjected to vessel motions induced by waves and navigation. The interaction between wind-induced vibrations and vessel movement is largely unexplored and is the focus of the ERIES–VORSEA project. This paper presents the extensive wind tunnel campaign conducted on cylinders with an aspect ratio of 9 and Reynolds numbers in the range from 9.47·10 4 to 1.66·10 6 . The test setup includes a tilting apparatus designed to simulate the rolling motion of the vessel. Both single-cylinder and two-cylinder configurations are investigated. Experiments are carried out under uniform flow conditions with low turbulence intensity. Pressures around eight different rings positioned in the upper two-thirds of the cylinder are measured, along with the simultaneous accelerations at both the top and base of the cylinder. The dataset forms a valuable benchmark for studying the aerodynamics of finite-length circular cylinders and the development of vortex shedding at high Reynolds numbers, as well as for validating and calibrating similar experimental and numerical studies.