Hydrodynamic Test and Evaluation of a Newly Developed Kevlar Rope Fairing

摘要

The strumming and drag performance of a newly developed Kevlar rope fairing have been determined experimentally. In one experiment, faired and unfaired rope samples of the same diameter were towed with one end free to obtain their normal and tangential drag coefficients. Results of the experiment are plotted versus Reynolds number and show that the fairing increases cable drag substantially. In another experiment the same ropes were also towed with a heavy, streamlined body attached. By comparing their resonantly excited tension fluctuations, it is found that the fairing reduces flow-induced cable vibrations. (Author)