Abstract
The wave field around a rectangular submerged breakwater is investigated by means of an experiment in numerical wave flume. The results were compared with those obtained making use of the Boundary Element Method. The numerical experiment is carried out to determine the share of the incident wave energy that are reflected, dissipated over the roof of the breakwater, and transmitted in the lee. The wave field before the breakwater (i.e. the quasi standing field) obtained with the CFD simulations is quite similar to that obtained with the BEM. Some relevant differences between the two models arise in the lee of the breakwater, because the wave motion is strongly affected by the dissipation occuring over the breakwater roof by friction and wave breaking. They cannot be foreseen with BEM, being the motion ideal. Their analysis show that the dissipation is more than halves the transmission of energy, despite the relevant submergence of the considerated breakwater.
Highlights
Detached breakwaters for coast defense are usually realized by means of rock stones or concrete blocks
Waves pass over the crest of the breakwater with breaking, and higher energy is transmitted in the lee of submerged breakwaters in respect of semi-submerged structures
The resulting wave field obtained by the interaction between the progressive wave train and the submerged breakwater is a quasi-standing field, characterized by the presence of ’pseudo-antinodes’ and ’pseudo-nodes’
Summary
Detached breakwaters for coast defense are usually realized by means of rock stones or concrete blocks. These structures rest on the seabed with the crest rising above the mean sea level or remaining below it. Submerged breakwaters are employed to minimize the visual intrusion of the breakwater, that is important for recreational coastal developments. In this case, waves pass over the crest of the breakwater with breaking, and higher energy is transmitted in the lee of submerged breakwaters in respect of semi-submerged structures. The effectiveness of a breakwater in attenuating wave energy can be measured by the amount of wave energy passing the structure. Empirical formulas, for estimating wave transmission over submerged breakwaters, have been proposed by Harens (1987), d’Angremond et al (1996), Seabrook & Hall (1998)
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