PROTOTYPE PHYSICAL MODEL EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON SHIP ANCHOR IMPACT FOR SUBSEA PIPELINE PROTECTION SYSTEMS

Abstract

Subsea pipelines, as critical infrastructure for marine oil and gas transportation, play a key role in the safety of marine environments and resource utilization. However, damage to subsea pipelines caused by activities such as ship anchor dragging is a recurring problem, resulting in significant economic losses. This study investigates the protective effects of subsea pipeline protection systems against anchor dragging through prototype-scale ship anchor impact physical model experiments. By simulating conditions such as the anchor dragging impact, anchor overriding during dragging, and anchor drop impact of a 1-ton Hall’s anchor in an experimental basin, the results indicate that under the 3.5 kN anchor dragging impact, the surface of the protection device shows minor damage but remains intact without penetration, ensuring the pipeline remains undamaged. During the anchor overriding during dragging, the protection device demonstrates good stability, effectively safeguarding the pipeline. Even under the equivalent 15-meter water depth anchor drop impact condition, although the protection device sustains some damage, it still maintains its protective function, with no damage to the pipeline. The study confirms that the new type of subsea pipeline protection device exhibits strong resistance to threats such as ship anchor impact, overriding, and drop, providing key technical support and practical evidence for preventing ship anchor damage to subsea pipelines.