SPH Method Applications for Coastal Wave Breaking and Wave-Structure Interaction

Abstract

The Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method is a mesh-free Lagrangian approach which is capable of tracking the large deformations of the free surface with good accuracy. A three-dimensional SPH model was proposed to simulate the wave–structure interaction (WSI), in which a weakly compressible SPH model was introduced to investigate the wave breaking and coastal structure. To validate the SPH numerical model, three different types of wave breaking, namely, spilling, plunging and surging breaking were successfully simulated. The computations were compared with the experimental data and a good agreement was observed. The hydrodynamics model of interaction between wave and structure was established according to Navier-Stokes equations in SPH style. And the model was used in simulating the interaction between wave and a series of new type breakwaters. It is proven to be a promising tool and able to provide reliable prediction on the wave-structure interaction in coastal engineering.