Propagation of a solitary wave over rigid porous beds

Abstract

The unsteady two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations and Navier–Stokes type model equations for porous flows were solved numerically to simulate the propagation of a solitary wave over porous beds. The free surface boundary conditions and the interfacial boundary conditions between the water region and the porous bed are in complete form. The incoming waves were generated using a piston type wavemaker set up in the computational domain. Accuracy of the numerical model was verified by comparing the numerical results with the theoretical solutions. The main characteristics of the flow fields in both the water region and the porous bed were discussed by specifying the velocity fields. Behaviors of boundary layer flows in both fluid and porous bed regions were also revealed. Effects of different parameters on the wave height attenuation were studied and discussed. The results of this numerical model indicate that for the investigated incident wave as the ratio of the porous bed depth to the fluid depth exceeds 10, any further increase of the porous bed depth has no effect on wave height attenuation.