Three-dimensional analysis of local scouring induced by a rotating ship propeller

The jet induced by a rotating ship propeller can cause scouring of the seabed and consequent deposition of the scoured material nearby. Despite these effects are extremely important for the operability of a harbour, there is currently limited work concerning a detailed investigation of the three-dimensional (3D) characteristics of the bed topography changes induced by the ship propeller. Thus, this paper presents laboratory experiments with the aim of analysing the effects induced by a propeller on a mobile bed, in different conditions of submergence depth (h0) and rotational speed (n). The equilibrium bed surface topography was acquired with the photogrammetry technique combined with a 3D Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS), in order to analyse, for the first time, bed elevation data obtained from high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). As a result, it was demonstrated that the swirling jet produced by a rotating propeller causes the development of a bed topography not symmetrical with respect to the propeller longitudinal axis, with a deeper scour hole on one side and a higher deposition mound on the other side. Therefore, the scour hole induced by a propeller cannot be assimilated to that produced by a water jet and this behaviour can be noted only with a comprehensive and detailed analysis of a 3D model of the bed topography. Furthermore, it was shown that increasing n for the same h0 (or reducing h0 by keeping n constant) causes a longer, deeper and wider scour hole and a higher deposition mound, with a greater volume of sediments eroded from the bed and deposited nearby the scour hole. To be precise, this is the first study aiming at estimating the eroded and deposited sediment volumes by a propeller jet, thanks to the use of the high-resolution DEMs. The relationships between all the involved variables were analysed, providing equations, graphs and an abacus for the prediction of the effects induced by the propeller as a function of h0 and the Froude number.