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

Several recent discoveries in the fluid-structure i nteractions between the external flows and circular cylinders p laced close to the wall have added new values to the hydrodynamics of unburied marine pipelines on a seabed. The hydrod ynamics of waves and/or currents introduced vortex flows surro unding the pipeline. External corrosions formed in marine pip elines were assumed to be partly contributed by such fluid-stru cture interactions. The spatial consequences of such int eractions were of interest of this study. This paper summari zed 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 pi pelines were studied comprehensively using stochastic approaches and results were discussed. Results adopted from the f ield data acknowledged well to the hypothesis from the report ed 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 sub sea pipeline designs.