Assessment of wind gust effects on the flow around offshore helidecks using RANS simulations

Wind gusts can significantly affect the flow characteristics above offshore helidecks, with direct implications for the operability and safety of helicopters. In this paper, RANS simulations using k–ω SST turbulence model are performed to investigate the influence of wind gusts on the mean flow field above a converter platform helideck. Idealized gusts are defined using field-measured characteristics from the Baltic Sea, and the gust response is analyzed through phase-interval averaged quantities and assessed using relevant metrics. The results show that gust forcing induces an increase in the mean turbulence kinetic energy and flow velocity magnitude with respect to the baseline mean flow. Across the investigated wind directions, turbulence kinetic energy generally increases over gust phases, with the strongest response occurring during the phase following the gust peak velocity. Critical wind directions for helicopter operations are identified for the configurations in which the helideck is located in the flow stagnation region, and the separated shear layer from the helideck interacts with the wakes from the surrounding superstructures. The results also highlight the importance of accounting for unsteady inflow conditions, showing that steady inflow simulations can lead to differences in the estimated kinetic energy values of turbulence during gust events.

Content

Subjects

RANS

offshore wind

wind gusts

offshore platforms

helidecks operability

turbulence modeling

DDC Class

600: Technology