A Coupling Model of Nonlinear Wave and Sandy Seabed Dynamic Interaction

In the paper, a weak coupling numerical model is developed for the study of the nonlinear dynamic interaction between water waves and permeable sandy seabed. The wave field solveris based on the VOF （Volume of Fluid） method for continuity equation and the two-dimensional Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes （RANS） equations with a k-ε closure. The free surface of cnoidal wave is traced through the PLIC-VOF （P/ecewise Linear/nterface Construction）. Blot＇s equations have been applied to solve the sandy seabed, and the u-p fmite dement formulations are derived by the application of the Galerkin weighted-residual procedure. The continuity of the pressure on the interface between fluid and porous medium domains is considered. Laboratory tests were performed to verify the proposed numerical model, and it is shown that the pore-water pressures and the wave heights computed by the VOF-FEM models are in good agreement with the experimental results. It is found that the proposed model is effective in predicting the seabed-nonlinear wave interaction and is able to handle the wave-breakwater-seabed interaction problem.

Experimental study on stability of sunken large diameter cylindrical structure on sandy seabed during construction period

A systematic experimental research work is done for the stability of sunken large diameter cylinder during construction period. It is the first research that gives the method for assessing the stability of the larger diameter cylindrical structure, a set of values is derived also for the critical stability indices of the large diameter cylinder sunken to the sandy seabed.

WAVE-SOIL-PIPE COUPLING EFFECT ON SUBMARINE PIPELINE ON-BOTTOM STABILITY

Wave-soil-pipe coupling effect on the untrenched pipeline stability on sands is for the first time investigated experimentally. Tests are conducted in the U-shaped water tunnel, which generates an oscillatory how, simulating the water particle movements with periodically changing direction under the wave action. Characteristic times and phases during the instability process are revealed. Linear relationship between Froude number and non-dimensional pipe weight is obtained. Effects of initial embedment and loading history are observed. Test results between the wavesoil-pipe interaction and pipe-soil interaction under cyclic mechanical loading are compared. The mechanism is briefly discussed. For applying in the practical design, more extensive and systematic investigations are needed.

Experimental Study of Pore Water Pressure and Bed Profile Change Under Regular Breaking Waves

There lies a close relationship between the seabed destruction and the distribution of pore water pressure under the action of breaking wave. The experiments were carried out in a wave flume with a 1：30 sloping sandy seabed to study regular breaking wave induced pore water pressure. A wide range of measurements from the regular wave runs were reported, including time series of wave heights, pore pressures. The video records were analysed to measure the time development of the seabed form and the characteristics of the orbital motion of the sand in the wave breaking region. The pore water pressure in the breaker zone showed the time variation depending on the wave phases including wave breaking and bore propagation. The time-averaged pore water pressure was higher near the seabed surface. The peak values of pore water pressure increase significantly at the breaking point. The direction of pore water pressure difference forces in the breaker zone is of fundamental importance for a correct description of the sediment dynamics. The upwards- directed pressure differences may increase sand transport by reducing the effective weight of the sediment, thereby increasing the bed form evolution. The seabed configuration changed greatly at the wave breaking zone and a sand bar was generated remarkably. The amplitude of the pore water pressure changed with the seabed surface. The results are to improve the understanding of sand transport mechanisms and seabed responses due to breaking regular waves over a sloping sandy bed.

Characteristics of Scour and Deposition in Front of Breakwaters Under Irregular Broken Clapotis

First the scour and deposition patterns of the sandy seabed in front of a vertical breakwater under the action of irregular broken clapotis are investigated experimentally and classified into five types: scour typeⅠ, scour typeⅡ, scour type Ⅲ, deposition typeⅠ, and deposition typeⅡ. Secondly, the processes of formation of scour and deposition patterns are probed in comparison with those induced by regular broken clapotis and standing waves. Thirdly, the criteria for distinguishing scour and deposition patterns under irregular broken clapotis are presented.

A Numerical Model for Ultimate Soil Resistance to An Untrenched Pipeline Under Ocean Currents

One of the main concerns for pipeline on-bottom stability design is to properly predict ultimate soil resistance in severe ocean environments. A plane-strain finite element model is proposed to investigate the ultimate soil resistance to the partially-embedded pipeline under the action of ocean currents. Two typical end-constraints of the submarine pipelines are examined, i.e. freely-laid pipes and anti-rolling pipes. The proposed numerical model is verified with the existing mechanical-actuator experiments. The magnitude of lateral-soil-resistance coefficient for the examined anti-rolling pipes is much larger than that for the freely-laid pipes, indicating that the end-constraint condition significantly affects the lateral stability of the untrenched pipeline under ocean currents. The parametric study indicates that, the variation of lateral-soil-resistance coefficient with the dimensionless submerged weight of pipe is affected greatly by the angle of internal friction of soil, the pipe-soil friction coefficient, etc.