Solitary wave interactions with an array of two vertical cylinders

Abstract

This paper addresses a numerical investigation of nonlinear waves interactions with an array of two surface-piercing vertical cylinders and the corresponding nonlinear hydrodynamic loads on each individual cylinder. The primary interest of this study is concentrated on the problem of three-dimensional scattering of solitary waves by cylinder arrays and the nonlinear interactions between scattered waves. The theoretical model adopted for simulation is the generalized Boussinesq two-equation model. The boundary-fitted coordinate transformation and multiple-grid technique are utilized here to simplify the computation domain and to facilitate the applications of the boundary conditions on the cylinder surfaces. The velocity potential, free-surface elevation and subsequent evolution of the scattered wave field are numerically evaluated. The hydrodynamic forces on each cylinder during wave impact are also determined. A study of the sheltering effect by the neighboring structures on wave loads is conducted. It is found that the presence of the neighboring cylinder has shown significant influence on the wave loads and the scattering of the primary incident waves. For two transversely arranged cylinders, the transverse force coefficient increases as the separation distance decreases.