The interference of a semi-submerged obstacle on the porous breakwater

Abstract

The interaction of a linear water wave in a channel of constant depth impinging on a vertical thin porous breakwater with a semi-submerged and fixed rectangular obstacle in front of it is investigated. The water follows conventional assumptions as an irrotational, incompressible, and inviscid fluid flow. The solid skeleton of the porous breakwater is assumed to be rigid and thin. We get the general solution by applying the eigenfunction expansion method and solve it with a numerical matrix solver. In order to verify the correctness of the general solution, wave flume experiments are conducted. Two asymptotic solutions for long and short incoming waves are also obtained. Both experiments and asymptotic solutions show good agreement with the general solution at proper limits. Finally, the effect of the fixed obstacle on the porous breakwater is discussed, and a general guide of how to obtain better energy trapping is delivered.