Wave Flume Experiments Research Articles

Experimental study of coupling response characteristics of offshore monopiles, seabed, and waves in various sea conditions

As the global pursuit of renewable energy intensifies and the demand for offshore wind turbines rises, a comprehensive understanding of the coupling response characteristics of offshore monopiles, seabed, and waves in various sea conditions has become increasingly crucial. This paper reports on a wave flume experiment and seeks to contribute valuable insights by examining the coupling response of offshore monopiles, seabed, and waves exerting a relentless influence. The experimental results indicate that the impact of waves on monopiles is significant: there is greater pressure on the wave facing surface of the offshore piles than the other faces, and the pressure increases with increased wave height as well as the height of the monopile. The wave impact also gives rise to pile motion, squeezing the soil near the monopile and causing gradual pore water pressure around the monopile, and when the wave impact is strong enough, the monopile loses stability. Finally, the experimental results indicate significant differences in the coupling response characteristics of an offshore monopile, the seabed, and waves in various sea conditions. When the wave height was small, the pore water pressure attenuated quickly in the direction of the depth of the seabed; however, as the height and period of waves increased, when the test wave height was more than 18.6 cm and the period was more than 1.63 s, the dynamic pore water pressure around the monopile first decreased and then increased along the depth direction, which, generated by the wave impact, led to vibration and squeezing of the soil near the monopile leg. This indicates that the closer the pile bottom, the more intense the squeezing. By investigating this development across different sea conditions, this study provides a nuanced understanding that can inform the design of offshore monopiles in the face of various marine environmental challenges.

Experimental Study of the Random Wave-Induced Hydrodynamics and Soil Response in a Porous Seabed Around Double Piles

The evaluation of the wave-induced pore pressures around the offshore piles has attracted great attentions among coastal engineers, because they have been commonly used as foundations of numerous marine infrastructures. This paper presents comparative studies of the random wave-induced transient seabed response around single and double piles in a sandy seabed through a series of wave flume experiments. The influences of relative spacing ratios, wave incidence angles, and front pile diameters under different random wave parameters on oscillatory pore pressures in the vicinity of double piles are examined. In addition, variations in wave profiles and dynamic wave pressures surrounding single and double piles are quantitatively analyzed. Based on the experimental results, the following conclusions can be drawn: (1) under the influence of random waves, the wave profiles around the double piles exhibit obvious irregularity and nonlinearity; (2) the shielding effect existing in the tandem piles results in lower dynamic wave pressures around the rear pile compared to the front pile; (3) the pore pressures on the front surface of the double piles decrease with increasing soil depth, with a decreasing attenuation rate at each layer; (4) when the relative spacing ratio G/D2=3, the group-pile effect weakens, leading to an increase in the pore pressures around the rear pile, approaching the results of a single pile under conditions of lower significant wave heights or periods; (5) the intense disturbance effect caused by large wave incidence angles exacerbates the pore pressure response around the double piles; (6) when the diameter of the front pile in the tandem piles increases, it enhances the shielding effect, thus suppressing the seabed response around the rear pile. In contrast, it causes an increase in the wave surface around the double piles, exacerbating the pore pressure response in the seabed. The latter effect becomes more pronounced when the significant wave height is larger.

Extreme Wave-Induced Pressure Distribution and Wave Forces on Tandem Pile Groups: An Experimental Study

As the foundation of marine infrastructure, pile groups are subjected to extreme wave loads. Existing research primarily focuses on regular waves and wave forces. There is limited research on the pressure distribution of pile bodies under extreme waves. This paper describes a wave flume experiment where waves of a self-proposed extreme wave type were generated. The experiment considers three water depths (25/35/45 cm), three wave-pushing velocities (20/30/40 cm/s), and two clear distances (D, 2D). A total of 216 measuring points equipped with digital pressure sensors captured the vertical and circumferential pressure distribution and wave positive force. The results show that (1) the vertical and circumferential pressure distribution patterns of each component pile and the single pile are similar in various loading scenarios and clear distances. (2) The measuring point pressure, pressure after circumferential integration, and wave positive force are positively correlated with wave-pushing velocity. (3) The wave pressure is positively correlated with the water depth, while the pressure after circumferential integration is negatively correlated with the water depth. (4) When the clear distance is D, the wave positive force coefficient of each component pile is less than 1.0.

Large Eddy Simulation of Cross‐Shore Hydrodynamics Under Random Waves in the Inner Surf and Swash Zones

AbstractA 3D large eddy simulation coupled with a free surface tracking scheme was used to simulate cross‐shore hydrodynamics as observed in a large wave flume experiment. The primary objective was to enhance the understanding of wave‐backwash interactions and the implications for observed morphodynamics. Two simulation cases were carried out to elucidate key processes of wave‐backwash interactions across two distinct stages: berm erosion and sandbar formation, during the early portion of a modeled storm. The major difference between the two cases was the bathymetry: one featuring a berm without a sandbar (Case I), and the other, featuring a sandbar without a berm (Case II) at similar water depth. Good agreement (overall Willmott's index of agreement greater than 0.8) between simulations and measured data in free surface elevation, wave spectrum, and flow velocities validated the model skill. The findings indicated that the bottom shear stress, represented by the Shields parameter, was significant in both cases, potentially contributing substantial sediment transport. Notably, the occurrence of intense wave‐backwash interactions were more frequent in the absence of a sandbar. These intense wave‐backwash interactions resulted in a pronounced horizontal pressure gradient, quantified by high Sleath parameters, exceeding the criteria for momentary bed failure. Additionally, a more vigorous turbulence‐bed interaction, characterized by near‐bed turbulent kinetic energy, was observed in the case lacking a sandbar, potentially augmenting sediment suspension. These insights are pivotal in understanding the mechanisms underlying berm erosion and how sandbar formation serves to protect further beach erosion.

Wave attenuation by intertidal vegetation is mediated by trade‐offs between shoot‐ and canopy‐scale plant traits

Abstract Nature‐based solutions, through conservation or (re)creation of vegetated shorelines, are recognized to mitigate the impact of waves and erosion risks on shorelines. Wave attenuation is known to be dependent on plant traits, resulting in increasing wave attenuation rates with increasing shoot density, shoot thickness, height, and stiffness. However, following the allometric scaling theory, we hypothesize that increasing shoot density (a canopy‐scale trait) may be associated with decreasing shoot thickness and stiffness (a shoot‐scale trait), with potential opposing effects on overall wave attenuation. This study investigates (1) the presence of such allometric relations across intertidal shore plant species via existing literature and (2) the trade‐off effects on the overall wave attenuation capacity of shore vegetation through a flume experiment. Our results reveal for the first time the presence of allometric relationships between shoot‐scale and canopy‐scale plant properties in perennial intertidal plant species. Across different species, increasing shoot densities are indeed associated with decreasing shoot thickness and shoot stiffness. Next, we performed a wave flume experiment with plant mimics, showing that wave attenuation rate follows a logarithmic increase with increasing shoot density, even though the increasing shoot density was associated with thinner and more flexible individual shoots. Synthesis and applications. We conclude that wave attenuation is predominantly governed by canopy‐scale properties, but a trade‐off with shoot‐scale properties mediates the overall wave attenuation capacity of the vegetated shore. Our findings imply that nature‐based projects (re‐)creating vegetated shorelines should account for potential trade‐off effects of species‐specific plant traits at the canopy scale and individual shoot scale.

Study of effects of perforation layouts on wave energy dissipation caused by a submerged perforated breakwater in front of a vertical seawall

Perforated structures are a promising alternative to traditional breakwaters for constructing harbors and protecting coastlines. Perforated structures can effectively remove wave energy from ocean waves by the energy dissipation associated with the turbulence generated by the flow through the perforations in the structure. Understanding the factors that may affect the hydrodynamic characteristics of flow through a perforated plate is important for designing perforated marine structures. The purpose of this research was to determine the wave energy dissipation performance of thin-walled plates with various perforation configurations using OpenFOAM-based CFD simulation. Ten different plate configurations were designed and tested with a constant porosity while varying the distribution, shape, and size of the perforations, to determine the impacts to energy dissipation performance. The energy dissipation was quantified by CFD simulations of wave-interaction with a submerged perforated plate placed vertically in front of a vertical backwall (“seawall”). Physical wave flume experiments were also conducted to verify and validate the numerical models. The results showed that the perforation distribution, shape, and size play a minimal role in the energy dissipation performance when porosity is held constant. The minimal performance deviation between the perforation configurations was consistent across a range of wave periods and amplitudes.

Observations on the role of internal sand moisture dynamics in wave-driven dune face erosion

Understanding and predicting dune erosion is crucial for coastal hazards mitigation, ecosystem preservation, as well as the protection of human settlements and infrastructure along sandy coastlines. However, our knowledge regarding the influence and potential importance of internal sand moisture content on wave-driven dune face erosion processes remains limited. This paper presents the findings from an extensive series of controlled wave flume experiments of eroding, unvegetated dunes, combining a range of wave conditions and water levels. A further variable that is studied directly for the first time is the internal moisture content of the dune. The initial moisture content and its evolving dynamics within the eroding dune face are quantified, revealing this to be a determining factor of the observed erosion rates, the final horizontal erosion distance, and the dune face failure type. Importantly, infiltration into the dune with each wave was not a driving mechanism of observed failures, but rather the rapid increase and then decrease of the phreatic surface within the dune, resulting in excess pore pressures and destabilization of the sediment matrix. Based on these observations two distinct mechanisms of shear failure and resulting dune face slumping are identified for unsaturated dunes corresponding to ‘minimum’ and ‘field capacity’ internal moisture content: Type 1 is associated with a circular failure surface in the absence of notching at the base of the dune, while for Type 2, notching is present and the failure surface is vertical. Under fully saturated conditions, the phreatic surface is observed to decouple from the wave runup, with excess water continuously exiting the dune face near the base. This results in rapid shear failure with no notching (Type 3). Significantly, dunes with saturated initial pore moisture content above the capillary fringe are observed to have up to 35 % greater erosion potential, consistently receding further landward than the two unsaturated counterparts as well as undergoing slumping in the absence of wave impact. A new conceptual framework is presented, comprising of a three-phase erosion sequence that directly links dune face failure mechanisms to wave runup and prevailing groundwater conditions.

Bar and berm dynamics during transition from dissipative to reflective beach profile

Bar and berm morphology characterize the seasonal beach evolution, and determine the protection against storm erosion as well as the touristic use of beaches. Thus, they are of particular interest for coastal management and engineering in the nearshore zone. This study used large-scale wave flume experiments to observe the transition from fully dissipative to fully reflective beach profile at a high level of detail. Starting from a post-storm profile generated under energetic waves, a very low energy wave condition caused dissipation of the outer and the inner bar, shoreline recovery, and berm accretion. Measurements revealed feedback between hydrodynamics and beach profile evolution with an onshore shift of the wave breaking location. As a result, the magnitude and cross-shore evolution of wave asymmetry-related bedload net onshore and suspended net offshore transport changed. The relative magnitudes of the two transport components and the way they shifted relative to each other caused the observed beach recovery. Additionally, a link between bar and berm morphology (surf-swash sand exchange) was observed. The shifting breakpoint enabled sustained, wave asymmetry-related onshore transport in the inner surf zone, feeding the berm accretion which occurred through advective swash zone processes including berm overwash.

Modelling the far-field effect of drag-induced dissipation in wave–structure interaction: a numerical and experimental study

In the interaction of water waves with marine structures, the interplay between wave diffraction and drag-induced dissipation is seldom, if ever, considered. In particular, linear hydrodynamic models, and extensions thereof through the addition of a quadratic force term, do not represent the change in amplitude of the waves diffracted and radiated to the far field, which should result from local energy dissipation in the vicinity of the structure. In this work, a series of wave flume experiments is carried out, whereby waves of increasing amplitude impinge upon a vertical barrier, extending partway through the flume width. As the wave amplitude increases, the effect of drag – which is known to increase quadratically with the flow velocity – is enhanced, thus allowing the examination of the far-field effect of drag-induced dissipation, in terms of wave reflection and transmission. A potential flow model is proposed, with a simple quadratic pressure drop condition through a virtual porous surface, located on the sides of the barrier (where dissipation occurs). Experimental results confirm that drag-induced dissipation has a marked effect on the diffracted flow, i.e. on wave reflection and transmission, which is appropriately captured in the proposed model. Conversely, when diffraction becomes dominant as the barrier width becomes comparable to the incoming wavelength, the diffracted flow must be accounted for in predicting drag-induced forces and dissipation.

Quantifying Wave-Induced Hydrodynamics Near A Saltmarsh Cliff: An Experimental Piv Study

Nature-based flood defences receive increasing interest as a viable option for improving flood safety worldwide. A contemporary case is using the ability of saltmarshes to attenuate waves during storm conditions for strengthening coastal flood defences. To ensure a long-term reinforcement of flood protection, it is important to understand the erosion mechanisms of saltmarshes during storms. One of the critical locations for erosion is at the transition between the saltmarsh and the bare mudflat, often characterized by a vertical step or cliff. These cliffs vary between 0.2 to 2.0 m in height, depending on soil characteristics and local hydrodynamics. However, wave-induced hydrodynamics that controls the (mass) erosion at the saltmarsh cliff are not fully understood. Also the role of saltmarsh vegetation on these near-cliff hydrodynamics are not clearly quantified. In this research, we present high-resolution measurements of wave-induced hydrodynamics at a saltmarsh cliff performed in a scaled wave flume experiment.

Coarse Sand Transport Processes in the Ripple Vortex Regime Under Asymmetric Nearshore Waves

AbstractLarge‐scale wave flume experiments are conducted in the ripple vortex regime to study near bed coarse sand transport processes below asymmetric surface waves typical of the coastal nearshore region. For this purpose, a set of complementary acoustic instruments were deployed under regular nearshore wave conditions. Time‐resolved velocity, sand concentration and sand flux profiles are measured across both the dense bedload and dilute suspension layers with an Acoustic Concentration and Velocity Profiler. The equilibrium 2D suborbital ripples are in good agreement in terms of dimensions, shape and onshore migration rate with Wang and Yuan (2018, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jc013810, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2019.103583). Stoss ripple vortex entrainment around the trough‐to‐crest flow reversal (FR+) is found to be more energetic in terms of sand pick‐up into suspension compared to the counter rotating lee side vortex around the FR‐ flow reversal, as a consequence of the onshore skewed wave acceleration. Ripple vortex driven nearbed velocity phase leads around both flow reversals exceed typical bed friction induced values found in turbulent Wave Boundary Layers. Intrawave sand erosion events can be distinguished locally at the two ripple vortex positions around the flow reversals and two events more uniformly distributed along the ripple profile at wave crest and trough. Spatial fields of sand flux reveal the origin of the net onshore directed suspended and bedload transport. Good agreement is found with the mechanism identified under asymmetric oscillatory flows in Wang and Yuan (2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2019.103583). Differences with ripple vortex regime under skewed shoaling waves and symmetric oscillatory flows are highlighted.

Testing magnetic tracers as indicators of sediment transport in a wave flume experiment

AbstractThe in situ measurement of sediment transport in wave‐dominated environments presents significant challenges and currently often relies upon the use of fluorescent sediment tracers. However, this method is constrained by challenges in conducting unbiased and representative sampling, as well as facing overall logistical complexities and labour‐intensive procedures. Whilst other tracer techniques are available, such as using magnetic tracers, their performance in tracking sediment transport has not been quantified. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of magnetic tracers in evaluating net transport rates and tracer dispersal patterns. Conducted in a controlled large wave flume, the experiments simultaneously employed fluorescent and magnetic tracers, allowing a comprehensive comparison of the tracers' dispersion patterns and the net transport rates. Results show that the dispersal of magnetic and fluorescent tracers displays a high degree of spatial coherence in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. Similarly, net transport rates are comparable (<16% difference), both showing net transport in the direction of the wave propagation (towards onshore) driven by non‐linear and streaming effects. Magnetic tracer recovery rate (49%) was lower than for fluorescent tracers (73%) and is attributed to the loss of magnetic ink from particles; an aspect of the magnetic technique that requires improvement. This study therefore indicates that the use of magnetic tracers to quantify sediment transport is an effective method with the advantages of being significantly less labour‐intensive than using the commonly applied fluorescent sediment tracer method.

A breaker-zone wave energy converter

In this work we present a preliminary study on a laboratory model of a breaker zone wave energy converter (WEC). It is a heave-surge point absorber, composed by two distinct elements, a buoy and a paddle, which allows the conversion of the wave energy in near-shore region, just before waves break. The model was tested in an experimental wave flume, on a mild slope beach, with different waves breaking on the beach. We found efficiency ranging from 20 to 40 % with respect to the power of the oncoming wave.

Experimental Investigation of Pore Pressure on Sandy Seabed around Submarine Pipeline under Irregular Wave Loading.

The propagation of shallow-water waves may cause liquefaction of the seabed, thereby reducing its support capacity for pipelines and potentially leading to pipeline settlement or deformation. To ensure the stability of buried pipelines, it is crucial to consider the excess pore pressure induced by irregular waves thoroughly. This paper presents the findings of an experimental study on excess pore pressure caused by irregular waves on a sandy seabed. A series of two-dimensional wave flume experiments investigated the excess pore pressure generated by irregular waves. Based on the experimental results, this study examined the influences of irregular wave characteristics and pipeline proximity on excess pore pressure. Using test data, the signal analysis method was employed to categorize different modes of excess pore-water pressure growth into two types and explore the mechanism underlying pore pressure development under the influence of irregular waves.

Real time water surface elevation using video camera

In recent years, image processing has become a popular tool in wave flume experiments. In Indonesia, the use of image processing methods for measuring instruments in wave flume experiments has not been widely used. Therefore, in this study, an image processing method using image data from a digital camera was used in real time to measure the water surface elevation in the wave flume. Regular and irregular waves were measured with this image processing technique. The measurement results using this video camera were calibrated with wave gauges. The results showed that the measurement method using video images has a small difference less than 7% in wave height and wave period error. Therefore, this method can be a solution as a low cost measuring tool in wave flume or in field observations.

An experimental study on wave transmission by engineered plain and enhanced oyster reefs

This study examines the interaction between random waves and an oyster reef, both in its plain state and when enhanced by energy dissipating macro-roughness. The investigation was carried out using wave flume experiments, incorporating different water levels and wave conditions. The primary focus of the study revolves around two key parameters: freeboard and wave steepness. Additionally, the study explores the influence of macro-roughness arrangement on the wave energy transmission. Empirical relationships were established to determine the wave transmission coefficient for both the plain reef and the reef enhanced by macro-roughness. These relationships highlight the significance of the relative freeboard and wave steepness for the plain oyster reef. Moreover, a correction factor was introduced to account for the impact of macro-roughness configuration on the wave transmission coefficient. The findings of this study suggest that the incorporation of macro-roughness can effectively attenuate wave energy through dissipation and reflection, thereby serving as an additional measure for wave energy mitigation through nature-based solutions.

Data-driven modelling on power generation of wave-powered USV

Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) have been widely used in various fields credited for their high flexibility and excellent manoeuvrability. However, the limited onboard electricity of USVs restricts their applications in long-term working tasks. A promising option to address that problem is employing a wave-powered USV, where a wave energy converter is integrated into the USV. For a wave-powered USV, it is challenging to achieve a precise estimation of its power generation under complex marine environments. Although there are physics-based models of WECs used for the estimation and prediction of power generation of USVs, they cannot achieve satisfactory accuracy in practice because of the linearization and simplification of those mathematical modelling. To fill up this gap, this paper proposes a data-driven modelling method utilizing feature engineering and ensemble learning to estimate the mean power generation of a wave-powered USV, relying on time-serial measurements obtained from real physical wave-flume experiments under regular waves. Results show that the estimation achieves promising performance, where the minimum RMSEs are 3.359 mW and 6.148 mW for a harvester-to-wire model and a wave-to-wire model, respectively. Additionally, the proposed method shows great potential for real-sea applications, such as online power prediction and control.

Influence of Beach Slope on Morphological Changes and Sediment Transport under Irregular Waves

This paper presents new data from large-scale wave flume experiments. It shows the beach profile evolution and sediment transport for two different bed slopes (1:15 and 1:25), and three irregular high-energy erosive wave conditions and one low-energy accretive wave condition. The bulk cross-shore net sediment transport was investigated for the total active profile and for the surf and swash zone separately. It is shown that the steep slope is morphologically more active than the gentle slope, with faster and more pronounced morphological changes and larger sediment transport rates. For both slopes, the total and surf zone net sediment transport were offshore-directed for erosive waves and onshore-directed for the accretive wave condition. However, the net swash zone transport for the erosive wave conditions was offshore-directed for the steep slope and onshore-directed for the gentle slope. The direction and magnitude of the total and surf zone sediment transport correlate well with the slope-corrected Dean criterion with increasing offshore-directed sediment transport (erosion) observed for increasing wave energy and bed slope. This relation does not hold for the swash zone sediment transport along the gentle slope, suggesting that swash zone sediment transport processes are not well captured when using a simple predictor such as the (modified) Dean number. Differences in sediment transport in the swash for the different slopes are likely influenced by differences in incoming wave energy, wave–swash interactions and the relative importance of long- and short-waves.

A numerical investigation of the 2DH wave characteristics across a fringing reef profile with reef-flat excavation pit

The dredging of reef-flat sand for engineering construction is a common activity on some Asia-Pacific reef islands, which attract increasing concerns in the community of coastal hazard mitigation. Comparing to the well-studied one-dimensional horizontal (1DH) fringing reefs with excavation pit on the reef flat, little is known about such wave characteristics as sea and swell (SS) waves, infragravity (IG) waves, wave-induced setup and wave-driven current in a two-dimensional horizontal (2DH) fringing reef configuration with the reef-flat pit. To remedy this research gap, a 2DH numerical model according to a set of Boussinesq equations is proposed in this study. The 1DH form of used model is firstly verified with a wave flume experiment based on SS wave height, IG wave height and wave setup along the 1DH reef profile with and without the pit, then its 2DH form is verified by a wave basin experiment in view of both wave and mean current processes in a reef-lagoon-channel system. A comparison between 1DH and 2DH reef configurations with pit is also conducted to further validate the 2DH model. Subsequently, the model is adopted to investigate the effect of excavation pit on these wave processes, particularly for the wave-driven current, in the 2DH reef configuration. The present model is finally used to examine the influences of incident wave conditions and pit morphological features on the wave characteristics in the 2DH reef environment.

Experimental and numerical investigation of wave-induced dynamics of emergent flexible vegetation

Understanding and modeling the dynamics of flexible vegetation is fundamental to investigating wave attenuation by flexible vegetation, which is fast becoming an essential issue in nature-based coastal defense. Existing studies are mainly restricted to submerged vegetation and linear wave assumptions. Hence, a new mechanical model for simulating wave-induced emergent flexible vegetation dynamics is developed by considering the dynamic variation of the submergence ratio. A set of wave flume experiments on emergent flexible vegetation dynamics driven by waves are conducted. The reliability of the developed model is revealed based on a series of model validations. Experimental data indicates that emergent flexible vegetation dynamics are influenced by the Ursell number, Cauchy number, Excursion ratio, stiffness-to-force ratio, Keulegan–Carpenter number, and Reynolds number. Simulation results also demonstrate the usefulness of the emergent flexible vegetation dynamic model. There is a considerable difference in simulated horizontal force and stem postures regarding emergent flexible vegetation between the previous submerged flexible vegetation dynamic model and the developed new emergent flexible vegetation dynamic model. The results from this study optimize the simulation theory and method of wave-induced flexible vegetation dynamics, and generate new insights into the interaction between coastal flexible vegetation and waves.