Solution of Suspending Submarine Pipeline with Bionic Protective Technology

Abstract

The paper intends to propose an immediate and also permanebt solution to suspending submarine pipelines, which is a fatal factoe of the spilling accident, caused by scouring of current, instability of the seabed, vibration of the riser and others developed by the present authors. Based on the marine dynamics and marine bionics, the mechanism and effect of scouring is introduced and a new protective technique is explored. As core of technique, composite material front mats are secured to the seabed using anchors and the buoyant fronds reduce the current velocity and sediment transportation to protect the pipeline rely on viscous drag, causing sediment to fall into the fronds to backfill scour pits and to form a permanent reinforced sandbank. Compared with other traditional methods, which seldom prohibit second scouring, the efficiency and feasibility of this technique could be guaranteed. In order to demonstrate the advancement, a set of model experiments are provided to show the status of deposition with time. Slected three cases with suspending submarine pipelines in an oilfield, different applications in risers with bionic protective technology indicate that this system with the sediment deposition has meaningful influence on elimination and rectification scouring. With the characters of single effort and low input in installation, as well as maintaining, this protective technique with environmental friendly material has benefit to provide a permanent, self-maintaining solution to scouring, improve of the integrity of the suspending seabed pipeline, finally to control the spilling of oil. Not only in suspended submarine pipelines, has bionic protective technology applied in new project, which has obtained remarkable benefit to combine protection with control. However, limited by the technic on construction and operation, the application in domestic submarine pipelines also need to be updated and optimized.