EFFECT OF REYNOLDS NUMBER ON LOCAL SCOUR AROUND A MONOPILE IN STEADY CURRENT

摘要

The effect of Reynolds number (Re) on the local scour around a monopile encountering steady current was investigated experimentally in a water flume. The experiment was performed using circular cylinders with different diameters under two different freestream velocities, covering both clear-water and live-bed scours and a Reynolds number range of approximately 9,000-60,000. The time-series of the scour depth was recorded during the whole scour process and the scour pit was scanned after the scour process reached equilibrium. Results are presented in terms of the equilibrium scour depth, the time-scale of the scour process and the three-dimensional scour profile at different Reynolds numbers. For both clear-water and live-bed scours, the time history of the scour process indicate that the time-scale becomes larger as Re increases. It is also found that the normalized equilibrium scour depth, as well as the normalized scour radius, decrease with the increasing Re. An empirical equation of the equilibrium scour depth is derived as a function of Reynolds number based on the experimental results so as to better account for Re effect in the scour design.