Current-induced scour beneath initially elevated subsea pipelines

When a subsea pipeline is laid on an uneven seabed, certain sections may have an initial elevation with respect to the far-field seabed, e_o, and thus potentially affecting the on-bottom stability of the pipeline. This paper focuses on quantifying the effects of the upstream dimensionless seabed shear stress, θ_∞, and Reynolds number, Re, on: (1) the maximum dimensionless seabed shear stress beneath the pipe, θ_max, to be compared to the critical shear stress in order to determine whether scour would occur and progress towards an equilibrium state; and, (2) the dimensionless equilibrium scour depth beneath the pipe, S_eq/D. Using a 2-D Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach along with the k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model, a parametric study involving 243 computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations was conducted. The simulation results were used to develop a closed-form equation for the prediction of θ_max. Subsequently, experimental measurements of S_eq/D have been compiled from published literature, to develop a new closed-form equation for the prediction of S_eq/D with a high correlation to the experimental data. In summary, we present two closed-form equations for the prediction of θ_max and S_eq/D for pipelines with an initial e_o/D, which are applicable for both clear-water and live-bed conditions. The effects of θ_∞ and Re have been included, albeit Re having a small influence as compared to the other parameters.     

黄河三角洲前缘桩106至黄河海港岸段海底地形冲淤变化研究

1976年黄河改道从水清沟入海后,黄河三角洲前沿桩106至黄河海港岸段的海底地形遭受强烈侵蚀,岸滩不断蚀退。黄河三角洲强侵蚀岸段岸线监测资料与历史资料分析研究结果表明,1985-2004年该区最大侵蚀深度达7.5 m,其强侵蚀区中心位置经历了由西北向东南移动的过程,范围不断缩小,目前局部地区已发生淤积现象。种种迹象表明,从冲淤并存和以侵蚀为主向冲淤平衡过渡的现象还将长期进行下去。     

大型桥梁钢沉井下沉过程局部冲刷研究

钢沉井下沉过程中局部冲刷的研究是同类桥墩设计和施工十分关心的重要课题,它对保证钢沉井安全有效施工、桥梁设计中施工期桥墩最大冲深、失稳和安全计算有重要参考价值。通过室内试验研究了钢沉井下沉过程中的局部冲刷机理和冲刷形态,探讨了桥墩下部钢沉井基础施工的相对高程对局部冲刷的变化规律,并将试验研究所获得的局部冲刷规律和影响因素,采用墩型系数方法引入局部冲刷计算中,给出了计算公式。研究成果补充了国家行业规范内容,对同类工程的设计、施工具有借鉴和指导意义。     

海底输油管道底砂床冲刷机理研究

设计了海底输油管道水槽冲刷试验模型,研究了海底输油管道与砂床处于不同相对位置情况下床砂起动流速的变化,采用理想流体映射定理对其进行了理论分析,探讨起动流速变化规律。结合有限元数值模拟对试验进行细化分析,研究了海底管道底砂床砂粒起动的产生机理,根据研究结果将冲刷过程划分为五个阶段。阐明了海底管道暴露冲刷的危害性和实时监测的重要性。     

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS OF HEC-6 RIVER MORPHOLOGICAL MODEL

Only comparatively few experimental studies have been carried out to investigate the performance of the HEC-6 river morphological model. The model was developed by the Hydrologic Engineering Center of the US Army Corps of Engineers. In this study, experiments were carried out in a 20 m long concrete flume 0.6 m wide with varying rectangular cross-sections. The channel bed is paved with uniform sand of D₅₀ = 0.9 mm and D₉₀ = 1.2 mm within the test reach of 12 m. Two types of experiments were carried out with sediment transport, one under steady uniform flow and another under steady non-uniform flow conditions. Nine steady uniform flow experiments were carried out to compare the measured equilibrium relationship of flow and sediment transport rate with two bedload formulae, namely, Du Boys and Meyer–Peter and Muller, and with three total load formulae, namely, Toffaleti, Laursen and Yang. It was found that even though the sediment transport consists of a certain portion of bedload, the total load formulae give satisfactory results and better agreement than the two bedload formulae. Five steady non-uniform flow experiments were carried out under various conditions of varying bed profile and channel width and also with sediment addition and withdrawal. The measured transient water surface and bed profiles are compared with the computed results from the HEC-6 model. It was found that the Toffaleti and Yang total load formulae used in the HEC-6 model give the most satisfactory prediction of actual bed profiles under various conditions of non-uniform flow and sediment transport. The effects of Manning's n, variations of sediment inflow, various sediment transport formulae, sediment grain size and the model numerical parameters, i.e. distance interval Δx and numerical weighting factor, on the computed water surface and bed profiles were determined. It was found that the selection of the sediment transport formulae has the most significant effect on the computed results. It can be concluded that the HEC-6 model can predict satisfactorily a long-term average pattern of local scour and deposition along a channel with either a small abrupt change in geometry or gradually varying cross-sections. However, the accuracy of the model prediction is reduced in the regions where highly non-uniform flow occurs.     

淤泥质潮流深槽最大冲刷深度的一个概念模型

以概念模式方法计算了淤泥质潮流深槽的最大深度,探讨了涨落潮流速、涨落潮历时、深槽淤泥质物质粒径、深槽顶底部原始深度、水道长度等因素对潮流深槽最大深度的影响。概念模式的假设条件是:(1)深槽形态为长方体,底部纵向坡度为0;(2)沉积物粒径无垂向变化;(3)只考虑潮流作用的影响,涨、落潮流速在时间序列上呈正弦分布;(4)不考虑细颗粒物质的粘性和絮凝作用。模拟结果显示:(1)涨、落潮历时对深槽最大深度的影响很小。(2)优势潮流流速与最大深槽深度之间存在着幂函数关系。(3)深槽的底质粒径、深槽的长度均与最大冲刷深度呈正相关关系。(4)深槽顶部水深与最大深度呈负相关关系。(5)由于潮汐水道深度与潮流流速和沉积物侵蚀强度之间具有负反馈关系,因此水道冲刷存在着一个极限,即最终可以达到均衡状态。潮流深槽的均衡态特征和达到均衡态所需的时间可运用沉积动力学方法来确定;同时,若应用深槽的真实参数,进一步减少模型的假设条件,可望使该模型具有实际的应用价值。     

海底管线冲刷悬空及其抑制技术研究综述

海底管线作为海洋工程的重要组成部分,其安全性受到广泛关注。本文简单回顾了国内外学者通过物理实验、理论分析与数值模拟等方法研究海底管线冲刷悬空及防护问题的成果,并对工程中应用较广泛的防护方法的优缺点进行了简单对比,为该领域的进一步研究提供参考。     

Numerical study of sand scour with a modified Eulerian model based on incipient motion theory

Application of the standard Eulerian model to simulations of sand scour results in unrealistic phenomena. Therefore, the present work develops a modified Eulerian model based on sand incipient motion theory. The modified model is applied for simulating a two-dimensional single vertical jet and a moving planar jet. The simulation results generally demonstrate fairly good agreement with published results of scour profiles and the velocity contours of the water and sand phases. In addition, equations to describe self-similar scour profiles for the moving planar jet cases are given. The results demonstrate that the modified model efficiently and accurately simulates the two-dimensional sand scour produced by jets, particularly for the moving jet cases.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of local scour around a submerged vertical circular cylinder in steady currents

Local scour around a submerged vertical circular cylinder in steady currents was studied both experimentally and numerically. The physical experiments were conducted for two different cylinder diameters with a range of cylinder height-to-diameter ratios. Transient scour depth at the stagnation point (upstream edge) of the cylinder was measured using the so-called conductivity scour probes. Three-dimensional (3D) seabed topography around each model cylinder was measured using a laser profiler. The effect of the height-to-diameter ratio on the scour depth was investigated. The experimental results show that the scour depth at the stagnation point is independent on cylinder height-to-diameter ratio when the later is smaller than 2. The increase rate of equilibrium scour depth with cylinder height increases with an increase in Shields parameter.     

The impact of scour processes on a smothered reef system in the Irish Sea

The Irish Sea, like many marine areas, is threatened by anthropogenic activities. In particular the Pisces Reef system, a series of smothered rocky reefs are subject to fishing pressures as a result of their position within a Nephrops norvegicus fishery. In an area of sediment deposition and retention the reefs modify the environment by increasing the energy of near-bottom currents which results in localised scouring. This is the first study to attempt to characterise and investigate the ecological functioning of the Pisces Reef system. A multidisciplinary approach was essential for accurate investigation of the area. To facilitate more effective management of the benthic habitats of the Reef system, this study integrates acoustic, seismic, grab sampling and video ground-truthing methods for benthic habitat discrimination. Orientation of the scour hollows also suggest that seabed features could be used to infer dominant flow regimes such as the Irish Sea Gyre. The data revealed significant geology–benthos relationships. A unique biotope was described for the reef habitat and it was demonstrated that scouring may influence community composition through disturbance mechanisms. This study provides preliminary information required for management of a unique habitat within a uniform region.