Free surface flow and wave impact at complex solid structures

Abstract

Hydrodynamic wave loading at structures is a complex phenomenon to quantify. The design of structures to resist wave loading has been historically and predominantly achieved through empirical and experimental observations. This is due to the challenging understanding and quantification of wave impact energy transfer processes with air entrainment at solid structures. This paper investigates wave loading on such structures with effects of air entrapment. Specifically, it focuses on predicting the multi-modal oscillatory wave impact pressure signals which result from transient waves impinging upon a solid wall. A large dataset of compressible (and incompressible) numerical modelling scenarios have been generated to investigate these processes. The modelling simulation data are verified through a grid scaling analysis and validated against previous studies. Air bubble entrapment oscillatory pressure response trends are observed in the compressible simulation during wave impact. A frequency domain analysis of the impact pressure response is undertaken. The numerical modelling results are found in good agreement with theoretical and experimental observation data. These findings provide good confidence on the robustness of our numerical model foundations particularly for investigating the air bubbles formation, their mechanics and adjusted resonance frequency modes at impact with solid wall