The spectral element model for pipelines conveying internal steady flow

Abstract The pipelines conveying high velocity internal flow may experience severe flow-induced vibrations due to the fluid–pipeline interaction. For accurate prediction of the flow-induced vibrations, this paper develops a spectral element model for the pipeline conveying steady internal fluid. The spectral element model is represented by the exact dynamic stiffness matrix, which is formulated from the wave solutions satisfying the governing structural dynamic equations through the dispersion relation. In contrast with the classical finite element model, the spectral element model can provide very accurate solutions using only one finite element for the uniform structure member, regardless of its length. To investigate the advantage of the present spectral element model over the conventional finite element model, the spectral element vibration analysis is conducted for a simply supported straight pipeline conveying internal steady flow.