Wave flume

About: Wave flume is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1627 publications have been published within this topic receiving 23335 citations.

Comparison between wave generation methods for numerical simulation of bimodal seas

Abstract: This paper describes an investigation of the generation of desired sea states in a numerical wave model. Bimodal sea states containing energetic swell components can be coastal hazards along coastlines exposed to large oceanic fetches. Investigating the effects of long-period bimodal seas requires large computational domains and increased running time to ensure the development of the desired sea state. Long computational runs can cause mass stability issues due to the Stokes drift and wave reflection, which in turn affect results through the variation of the water level. A numerical wave flume, NEWRANS, was used to investigate two wave generation methods: the wave paddle method, allowing for a smaller domain; and the internal mass source function method, providing an open boundary allowing reflected waves to leave the domain. The two wave generation methods were validated against experimental data by comparing the wave generation accuracy and the variance of mass in the model during simulations. Results show that the wave paddle method not only accurately generates the desired sea state but also provides a more stable simulation, in which mass fluctuation has less of an effect on the water depth during the long-duration simulations. As a result, it is suggested that the wave paddle method with active wave absorption is preferable to the internal wave maker option when investigating intermediate-depth long-period bimodal seas for long-duration simulations.

Numerical simulation of wave impact on the slab

Abstract: In the paper, the wave generating and absorbing were introduced into the RANS equations as the source terms using the relaxation approach. A new module of the wave generating and absorbing function, which is suitable for FLUENT based on the volume of fluid method (VOF), was established. The computational results of the wave pressures on the bottom of the slab were validated for the different relative clearance by the experimental data. Good agreements were found. It is suggested that the numerical wave flume is capable of simulating the phenomenon of wave impact, especially the process of the negative pressure.

Virtual Level Analysis Applied to Wave Flume Experiments: The Case of Waves-Cubipod Homogeneous Low-Crested Structure Interaction

Abstract: This paper presents the use of virtual level (VL) probes as an alternative image-based approach to investigate the interaction of waves with coastal structures in wave flume experiments. These probes are defined as regions of interest located at specific positions along the horizontal domain of the images, in which edge interfaces are detected and, thus, their vertical motions can be obtained. To demonstrate the use of the methodology, a critical condition of breaking waves interacting with a Cubipod homogeneous low-crested structure (HLCS) in a two-dimensional framework was selected. With the video recorded from the experiments, image calibration, processing, and analysis stages were implemented to analyze the performance of the HLCS in reducing wave elevations and to study the stability of the armor units. The present approach can be extended to a wide range of coastal structures applications where the interface detection between components of the scene is useful to observe the behavior of coastal structures, increasing effectiveness and alternatives to acquire precise data in 2D experimental tests.

Navier-stokes wave models for investigations of breakwater characteristics

Abstract: The protection of coastal structures is important t o South Africa. The dynamics of breakwaters is a topic that is becoming amenable to numerical study, in terms of the motion of multiple interlocking structures under wave action. In this preliminary s tudy, plunging waves and the loads they exert on semi-submerged structures are investigated with a R eynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes model using a Volume of Fluid approach to surface modelling. Qualitative comparison of wave properties with experimental observations, including turbulence in surging and plunging waves, is encouraging, but quantitative comparisons are still to be made. Load s on a semi-submerged beam are modelled in preparation for studies of the dolos geometry.