Kinetic, Dynamic and Energy Characteristics of Vortex Evolution on Bragg Scattering of Water Waves

Abstract

The vortex generation and dissipation under Bragg scattering of water wave propagation over a series of submerged rectangular breakwaters are investigated both numerically and experimentally. A Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) model combined with a k–ε turbulence closure is applied to simulate the entire vortex evolution process as water waves pass over a series of artificial rectangular bars. The Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is also used to measure the velocity field in the vicinity of the obstacles. The numerical model is validated through the comparisons of water surface elevations and velocity field with the measurements. The mechanism of vortex evolution and its influence on the interaction of water waves with submerged structures for both cases of resonance and non-resonance were studied. Wave reflection coefficients for both resonant and non-resonant cases were calculated and compared with experiments and solutions based on the linear wave theory. It is also found that the calculated vortex intensity at the last bar is only one third of that at the leading bar for the near-resonant case. The local kinetic energy is also found to attain its minimum value at a place where potential energy became larger in Bragg scattering of water waves.