Diffraction of water waves by an array of vertical barriers and heterogeneous bottom

Abstract

The interaction of head waves with an infinite row of identical, equally spaced, rectangular breakwaters is investigated in the presence of uneven bottom topography. Using linear water wave theory and matched eigenfunction expansion method, the boundary value problem is transformed into a system of linear algebraic equations which are numerically solved to know the velocity potentials completely. Utilizing this method, reflected and transmitted wave energy are computed for different physical parameters along with the wave field in the vicinity of breakwaters. It is observed that the wave field becomes more complicated when the incoming wavelength becomes smaller than the channel width. A critical ratio of the gap width to the channel width, corresponding to the inflection point of the transmitted energy variation, is identified for which 1/3 of the total energy is transmitted. Similarly, depending on the incident wavelength, there is a critical breakwater width for which a minimum energy is transmitted. Further, the accuracy of the computed results is verified by using the derived energy relation.