Review of Numerical Modeling of Water Waves by Pengzhi LinNumerical Modeling of Water WavesTaylor & Francis9780415415781$170

Abstract

In the last two decades, myriad numerical models and modeling techniques have been developed for simulating the properties and behavior of ocean waves under a variety of conditions. These include models for coastal wave propagation, wave agitation in harbors, overtopping of seawalls, wave-structure interaction, etc. Thanks to recent advances that have occurred in the past 20 years in computing power, both large-scale ocean and refined localscale coastal wave modeling can now be performed. The modeling techniques are based on a variety of governing equations, including Laplace equation, Boussinesq equations, Navier-Stokes equations, energy-balance equations, etc., involving either the steady or the unsteady mode, and either one, two, or three dimensions as well as numerous approximations. The numerical techniques also display wide variation: finite differences, finite elements, boundary elements, volume of fluid, meshless computations, etc. This explosion of modeling methods is certainly admirable and attests to the dynamism of the field; however, it sometimes confronts practitioners engineers needing models for project applications, researchers, model developers, and managers with confusion, because the pros and cons of certain models vis-a-vis others are infrequently discussed. This issue has occasionally been addressed in brief review papers Panchang et al. 1999; Isobe 1999, but Professor Pengzhi Lin’s recent book Numerical Modeling of Water Waves is, simply stated, a superb contribution. It is comprehensive and authoritative, covering practically the entire spectrum of modeling applications and methodologies that one encounters in this field. It is a