Large-scale experimental study on scour around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves

Offshore wind power plays a crucial role in energy strategies. The results of traditional small-scale physical models may be unreliable when extrapolated to large field scales. This study addressed this limitation by conducting large-scale (1:13) experiments to investigate the scour hole pattern and...

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Main Authors: En-yu Gong, Song-gui Chen, Xin Chen, Da-wei Guan, Jin-hai Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Water Science and Engineering
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674237025000511
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author En-yu Gong
Song-gui Chen
Xin Chen
Da-wei Guan
Jin-hai Zheng
author_facet En-yu Gong
Song-gui Chen
Xin Chen
Da-wei Guan
Jin-hai Zheng
author_sort En-yu Gong
collection DOAJ
description Offshore wind power plays a crucial role in energy strategies. The results of traditional small-scale physical models may be unreliable when extrapolated to large field scales. This study addressed this limitation by conducting large-scale (1:13) experiments to investigate the scour hole pattern and equilibrium scour depth around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves. The experiments adopted Keulegan–Carpenter number (NKC) values from 1.01 to 8.89 and diffraction parameter (D/L, where D is the diameter of the monopile, and L is the wave length) values from 0.016 to 0.056. The results showed that changes in the maximum scour location and scour hole shape around a slender monopile were associated with NKC, with differences observed between irregular and regular waves. Improving the calculation of NKC enhanced the accuracy of existing scour formulae under irregular waves. The maximum scour locations around a large monopile were consistently found on both sides, regardless of NKC and D/L, but the scour hole topography was influenced by both parameters. Notably, the scour range around a large monopile was at least as large as the monopile diameter.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1674-2370
language English
publishDate 2025-09-01
publisher Elsevier
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series Water Science and Engineering
spelling doaj-art-3fc763094e6d472d8b5f1552ceda45332025-08-23T04:47:53ZengElsevierWater Science and Engineering1674-23702025-09-0118336937710.1016/j.wse.2025.05.001Large-scale experimental study on scour around both slender and large monopiles under irregular wavesEn-yu Gong0Song-gui Chen1Xin Chen2Da-wei Guan3Jin-hai Zheng4College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, ChinaTianjin Research Institute for Water Transport Engineering, Tianjin 300456, China; Corresponding author.College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Coastal Disaster and Protection, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Coastal Disaster and Protection, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, ChinaOffshore wind power plays a crucial role in energy strategies. The results of traditional small-scale physical models may be unreliable when extrapolated to large field scales. This study addressed this limitation by conducting large-scale (1:13) experiments to investigate the scour hole pattern and equilibrium scour depth around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves. The experiments adopted Keulegan–Carpenter number (NKC) values from 1.01 to 8.89 and diffraction parameter (D/L, where D is the diameter of the monopile, and L is the wave length) values from 0.016 to 0.056. The results showed that changes in the maximum scour location and scour hole shape around a slender monopile were associated with NKC, with differences observed between irregular and regular waves. Improving the calculation of NKC enhanced the accuracy of existing scour formulae under irregular waves. The maximum scour locations around a large monopile were consistently found on both sides, regardless of NKC and D/L, but the scour hole topography was influenced by both parameters. Notably, the scour range around a large monopile was at least as large as the monopile diameter.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674237025000511ScourKeulegan–Carpenter numberIrregular wavesEquilibrium scour depthLarge-scale test
spellingShingle En-yu Gong
Song-gui Chen
Xin Chen
Da-wei Guan
Jin-hai Zheng
Large-scale experimental study on scour around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves
Water Science and Engineering
Scour
Keulegan–Carpenter number
Irregular waves
Equilibrium scour depth
Large-scale test
title Large-scale experimental study on scour around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves
title_full Large-scale experimental study on scour around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves
title_fullStr Large-scale experimental study on scour around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves
title_full_unstemmed Large-scale experimental study on scour around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves
title_short Large-scale experimental study on scour around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves
title_sort large scale experimental study on scour around both slender and large monopiles under irregular waves
topic Scour
Keulegan–Carpenter number
Irregular waves
Equilibrium scour depth
Large-scale test
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674237025000511
work_keys_str_mv AT enyugong largescaleexperimentalstudyonscouraroundbothslenderandlargemonopilesunderirregularwaves
AT songguichen largescaleexperimentalstudyonscouraroundbothslenderandlargemonopilesunderirregularwaves
AT xinchen largescaleexperimentalstudyonscouraroundbothslenderandlargemonopilesunderirregularwaves
AT daweiguan largescaleexperimentalstudyonscouraroundbothslenderandlargemonopilesunderirregularwaves
AT jinhaizheng largescaleexperimentalstudyonscouraroundbothslenderandlargemonopilesunderirregularwaves