Supporting New Insight in Pipeline Hydrodynamics Using Stochastic Approaches on External Corrosion Damage

Abstract

Several recent discoveries in the fluid-structure interactions between the external flows and circular cylinders placed close to the wall have added new values to the hydrodynamics of unburied marine pipelines on a seabed. The hydrodynamics of waves and/or currents introduced vortex flows surrounding the pipeline. External corrosions formed in marine pipelines were assumed to be partly contributed by such fluid-structure interactions. The spatial consequences of such interactions were of interest of this study. This paper summarized some experimental and numerical works carried out by previous researchers on these new discoveries. Actual field data were utilized in this study to support this hypothesis. The characteristics of corrosion orientations in the pipelines were studied comprehensively using stochastic approaches and results were discussed. Results adopted from the field data acknowledged well to the hypothesis from the reported literature. The updated knowledge from this fluid-structure interaction is hoped to be given more attention by the industry and perhaps to be incorporated into the current subsea pipeline designs.