Coupled Vibration Analysis of Submerged Floating Tunnel System in Wave and Current

Abstract

Submerged floating tunnel (SFT) is an innovative underwater structure for crossing long straits, which withstands the effects of water wave and current throughout its lifecycle. This paper proposes a theoretical approach to investigate the nonlinear dynamic response of the SFT tube-cable system under combined parametric excitation and hydrodynamic forcing excitations (i.e., wave and vortex-induced loading). Firstly, the governing equations of the SFT system considering the coupled degrees of freedom in the tube and cable are established based on the Hamilton principle and are solved numerically. Then, several representative cases are analyzed to reveal the dynamic characteristics of the SFT. Finally, some key parameters are discussed, such as the wave and current conditions and the structural parameters. The results show that when the flow velocity reaches a certain value, the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of the anchor-cables will excite a strong resonance in the structure. The displacement amplitude of the SFT increases with the increase of the wave height. Gravity-buoyance ratio (GBR) of the tube and the inclined mooring angle (IMA) of the cables jointly determine the natural vibration frequency of the SFT. The influence of the wave force on the tube is limited when the installation depth of SFT is more than 40 m.