Numerical simulation of pipeline local scour with lee-wake effects

A morphological model for the local scour around pipelines is developed. Based on the Navier-Stokes equation and an erodible boundary adjustment technique the model predicts the equilibrium scour hole without using any sediment transport formula. The calculation results clearly reveal that the lee-wakes behind the pipeline contribute significantly to the local scour hole development, especially to the gentle scour slope observed in experiments. The predicted maximum scour depth and the shape of the scour hole compare favorably with the experimental data published in the literature.