Effects of Cylinder Shape on the Performance of Vortex Induced Vibration for Aquatic Renewable Energy

Kinetic energy harnessed from vortex-induced vibration (VIV) is a type of renewable energy that can generate useful power from turbulent flow. It utilizes turbulent motion induced on a bluff body (cylindrical or spherical shape) in generating alternating motion of the body due to irregular and fluctuating lift forces. The effects of the cylinder shape are investigated in order to optimize the cylindrical design and its arrangement, which in turn will aid in enhancing the performance of the system. A computational comparative study is conducted using ANSYS fluent for various cylindrical shapes for a velocity of 0.26 m/s. This velocity is considered the minimum velocity required for the VIV to work. The results obtained will be used to calculate the maximum power output generated for each case .