Lift Forces on Pipelines in Steady Flow

Abstract
This paper considers the lift forces acting on a pipe with or without a small gap between the pipe and the seabed. From simple physical considerations, it is explained why the potential theory that predicts a downward lift force fails. A modified description of the potential flow in front of the pipe is developed, from which the lift force is evaluated if the undisturbed flow has no velocity gradients (shear‐free flow). The paper also discusses the effect of shear on the lift coefficient. The theoretical findings are supported by experiments.

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