Modelling of sand wave migration and its interaction with pipelines
- Dr. Dong Jeng
- Professor Brian Seymour (UBC)
- Dr. Mian Lin (Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
- Dr, Hong Zhang (Griffith)
The movement of sand due to sand waves can interfere with marine structures such as pipelines and cables on the seabed. It may also cause free spans of pipelines, with potentially serious consequences. Most previous research has considered sand wave propagation and the stability of pipelines as separate problems. In this project, we propose a coupled analysis of sand wave migration and its interaction with pipelines through mathematical and numerical modelling. The theoretical work will be supported by laboratory experiments. The resulting research will provide a better understanding of sand wave migration, beach profiles and the stability of pipelines.
The project consists of three tasks:
Sand wave model: A three-dimensional shallow water model will be used, with coupling between the flow model and the sediment dynamics model.
Sand wave-pipeline interaction: A tool will be developed to predict the long-term interaction of sand with offshore pipelines. A description for the processes near the pipeline is needed, and a three - dimensional model is established, based on the detailed local flow dynamics.
Physical Modelling: Targeted physical modelling will be conducted to verify the proposed model using the wave tank located at The Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Science. Experiments on sand wave migration (Task 1) will be conducted first, followed by an investigation of the sand wave-pipeline interaction (Task 2). The rate of sediment transport and movement of the pipeline will be directly observed during the experiments.
This project is support by Australian Research Council Linkage-International Award (2004-2007).