Towed array vibrations

The customer

• Size: Small - medium enterprise
• Sector: Offshore prospection sector
• Country: United Kingdom

The Problem

• Unknown vibration for different towing conditions
• Fluid induced vibration optimisation required
• Vibration effect on prospection equipment stability unknown

The Project

• Size: 80-100 man-hours
• Duration: 2-3 weeks

Proposed solution

• Evaluation of expected and extreme towing conditions
• Obtain low frequencies incident on the structure
• Fluid induced vibration influence on towing stability assessment

The simulations

• Fluid and turbulence analyses (RANS and DES) to determine induced vibrations (CFD analysis)
• Optimization of the design to improve towing stability (CFD analysis)

Project overal results

• Low frequency vibration amplitude reduction of 75% leading to a notable reduction in prospection equipment signal noise and stability improvement.
• Savings over £23,000 for the customer in prototyping and testing (estimate).
• Savings of more than 14 weeks in development time (estimate).