Numerical Simulation of Flow Field around Jacket Foundations on Flat-Bed and Equilibrium Scour Bathymetry

Autor: Dawei Guan, Yinuo Chu, Cheng Chen, Jingang Liu, Zishun Yao
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, Vol 12, Iss 8, p 1412 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2077-1312
DOI: 10.3390/jmse12081412
Popis: In recent years, jacket foundations have been increasingly employed in offshore wind farms. Their complex design comprising piles and trusses poses challenges for conducting comprehensive flow field measurements using physical experiments. Consequently, the influence of the flow field on local scour around these foundations remains unclear. Therefore, numerical simulation methods are essential to depict the surrounding flow characteristics. This study utilizes large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence models within OpenFOAM to simulate the flow field around jacket foundations on flat-bed and equilibrium scour bathymetry. A flume experiment was conducted for numerical model establishment and validation. The close agreement between experimental and numerical results indicates that the LES model accurately reflects the flow patterns around the jacket foundation. Time-averaged and instantaneous flow characteristics, average kinetic energy (AKE), turbulence structure, and bed shear stress were analyzed. The results indicate that flow intensity is reduced due to the shielding effect and energy dissipation by the truss structure of the jacket foundation. Furthermore, the AKE of the flow upstream of the rear piles decreases by 18.9% in the flat-bed state and 28.0% in the equilibrium state, indicating more energy dissipation and less scour at the rear piles in the equilibrium state. The research findings offer valuable insights into the design and scour protection strategies for jacket foundations.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals