Numerical investigation of the three-dimensional velocity fields induced by wave-structure interaction

Submerged shore-parallel breakwaters for coastal defence are a good compromise between the need to mitigate the effects of waves on the coast and the ambition to ensure the preservation of the landscape and water quality. In this work we simulate, in a fully three-dimensional form, the hydrodynamic effects induced by submerged breakwaters on incident wave trains with different wave height. The proposed three-dimensional non-hydrostatic finite-volume model is based on an integral form of the Navier-Stokes equations in σ-coordinates and is able to simulate the shocks in the numerical solution related to the wave breaking. The obtained numerical results show that the hydrodynamic phenomena produced by wave-structure interaction have features of three-dimensionality (undertow), that are locally important, and emphasize the need to use a non-hydrostatic fully-three-dimensional approach

Nonlinear waves and nearshore currents over variable bathymetry in curve-shaped coastal areas

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Wave Fields and Nearshore Currents in the Coastal Region Opposite San Mauro Cilento (Italy)

In this paper in order to simulate nearshore currents in computational domains representing the complex morphology of real coastal regions we use a model based on a contravariant integral form of the fully nonlinear Boussinesq equations (FNBE). The contravariant integral form, in which Christoffel symbols are absent, of the continuity equation does not contain the dispersive term. The Boussinesq equation system is numerically solved by a hybrid finite volume-finite difference scheme. The wave breaking is represented by discontinuities of the weak solution of the integral form of the nonlinear shallow water equations (NSWE). The capacity of the proposed model to correctly simulate the wave train propagation on a highly distorted grid is verified against test case present in the literature. The simulation of wave fields and nearshore currents in the coastal region, opposite San Mauro Cilento (Italy) in presence of a system of T-head groins, is numerically reproduced by using the proposed model

Boundary conditions for the simulation of wave breaking

In this paper we propose a new numerical model for the simulation of the wave breaking. The three-dimensional equations of motion are expressed in integral contravariant form and are solved on a curvilinear boundary conforming grid that is able to represent the complex geometry of coastal regions. A time-dependent transformation of the vertical coordinate that is a function of the oscillation of the turbulent wave boundary layer is proposed. A new numerical scheme for the simulation of the resulting equations is proposed. New boundary conditions at the free surface and bottom for the equations of motion expressed in contravariant form are proposed. We present an analysis of the importance of the correct positioning, inside the oscillating turbulent boundary layer, of the centre of the calculation grid cell closest to the bottom, in order to correctly simulate the height of the breaking waves

A Three-Dimensional Numerical Study of Wave Induced Currents in the Cetraro Harbour Coastal Area (Italy)

In this paper we propose a three-dimensional numerical study of the coastal currents produced by the wave motion in the area opposite the Cetraro harbour (Italy), during the most significant wave event for the coastal sediment transport. The aim of the present study is the characterization of the current patterns responsible for the siltation that affects the harbour entrance area and the assessment of a project solution designed to limit this phenomenon. The numerical simulations are carried out by a three-dimensional non-hydrostatic model that is based on the Navier–Stokes equations expressed in integral and contravariant form on a time-dependent curvilinear coordinate system, in which the vertical coordinate moves in order to follow the free surface variations. The numerical simulations are carried out in two different geometric configurations: a present configuration, that reproduces the geometry of the coastal defence structures currently present in the harbour area and a project configuration, which reproduces the presence of a breakwater designed to modify the coastal currents in the area opposite the harbour entrance

Numerical investigation of the three-dimensional velocity fields induced by wave-structure interaction

Submerged shore-parallel breakwaters for coastal defence are a good compromise between the need to mitigate the effects of waves on the coast and the ambition to ensure the preservation of the landscape and water quality. In this work we simulate, in a fully three-dimensional form, the hydrodynamic effects induced by submerged breakwaters on incident wave trains with different wave height. The proposed three-dimensional non-hydrostatic finite-volume model is based on an integral form of the Navier-Stokes equations in σ-coordinates and is able to simulate the shocks in the numerical solution related to the wave breaking. The obtained numerical results show that the hydrodynamic phenomena produced by wave-structure interaction have features of three-dimensionality (undertow), that are locally important, and emphasize the need to use a non-hydrostatic fully-three-dimensional approach

Integral contravariant form of the Navier-Stokes equations

An original integral formulation of the three-dimensional contravariant Navier-Stokes equations, devoid of the Christoffel symbols, in general time-dependent curvilinear coordinates is presented. The proposed integral form is obtained from the time derivative of the momentum of a material fluid volume and from the Leibniz rule of integration applied to a control volume that moves with a velocity which is different from the fluid velocity. The proposed integral formulation has general validity and makes it possible to obtain, with simple passages, the complete differential form of the contravariant Navier-Stokes equations in a time dependent curvilinear coordinate system. The integral form, devoid of the Christoffel symbols, proposed in this work is used in order to realise a three-dimensional non-hydrostatic numerical model for free surface flows, which is able to simulate the discontinuities in the solution related to the wave breaking on domains that reproduce the complex geometries of the coastal regions. The proposed model is validated by reproducing experimental test cases on time dependent curvilinear grids

Hydrodynamic Effects Produced by Submerged Breakwaters in a Coastal Area with a Curvilinear Shoreline

A three-dimensional numerical study of the hydrodynamic effect produced by a system of submerged breakwaters in a coastal area with a curvilinear shoreline is proposed. The three-dimensional model is based on an integral contravariant formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations in a time-dependent curvilinear coordinate system. The integral form of the contravariant Navier-Stokes equations is numerically integrated by a finite-volume shock-capturing scheme which uses Monotonic Upwind Scheme for Conservation Laws Total Variation Diminishing (MUSCL-TVD) reconstructions and an Harten Lax van Leer Riemann solver (HLL Riemann solver). The numerical model is used to verify whether the presence of a submerged coastal defence structure, in the coastal area with a curvilinear shoreline, is able to modify the wave induced circulation pattern and the hydrodynamic conditions from erosive to accretive

A Wave-Targeted Essentially Non-Oscillatory 3D Shock-Capturing Scheme for Breaking Wave Simulation

A new three-dimensional high-order shock-capturing model for the numerical simulation of breaking waves is proposed. The proposed model is based on an integral contravariant form of the Navier–Stokes equations in a time-dependent generalized curvilinear coordinate system. Such an integral contravariant form of the equations of motion is numerically integrated by a new conservative numerical scheme that is based on three elements of originality: the time evolution of the state of the system is carried out using a predictor–corrector method in which exclusively the conserved variables are used; the point values of the conserved variables on the cell face of the computational grid are obtained using an original high-order reconstruction procedure called a wave-targeted essentially non-oscillatory scheme; the time evolution of the discontinuity on the cell faces is calculated using an exact Riemann solver. The proposed model is validated by numerically reproducing several experimental tests of breaking waves on computational grids that are significantly coarser than those used in the literature to validate the existing 3D shock-capturing models. The results obtained with the proposed model are also compared with those obtained with a previously published model, which is based on second-order total variation diminishing reconstructions and an approximate Riemann solver usually adopted in the existing 3D shock-capturing models. Through the above comparison, the main drawbacks of the existing 3D shock-capturing models and the ability of the proposed model to simulate breaking waves and wave-induced currents are shown. The proposed 3D model is able to correctly simulate the wave height increase in the shoaling zone and to effectively predict the location of the wave breaking point, the maximum wave height, and the wave height decay in the surf zone. The validated model is applied to the simulation of the interaction between breaking waves and an emerged breakwater. The numerical results show that the proposed model is able to simulate both the large-scale circulation patterns downstream of the barrier and the onset of quasi-periodic vortex structures close to the edge of the barrier