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Determination of fractional energy loss of waves in nearshore waters using an improved high-order Boussinesq-type model

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Abstract

Fractional energy losses of waves due to wave breaking when passing over a submerged bar are studied systematically using a modified numerical code that is based on the high-order Boussinesq-type equations. The model is first tested by the additional experimental data, and the model’s capability of simulating the wave transformation over both gentle slope and steep slope is demonstrated. Then, the model’s breaking index is replaced and tested. The new breaking index, which is optimized from the several breaking indices, is not sensitive to the spatial grid length and includes the bottom slopes. Numerical tests show that the modified model with the new breaking index is more stable and efficient for the shallow-water wave breaking. Finally, the modified model is used to study the fractional energy losses for the regular waves propagating and breaking over a submerged bar. Our results have revealed that how the nonlinearity and the dispersion of the incident waves as well as the dimensionless bar height (normalized by water depth) dominate the fractional energy losses. It is also found that the bar slope (limited to gentle slopes that less than 1:10) and the dimensionless bar length (normalized by incident wave length) have negligible effects on the fractional energy losses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Hailun He  (何海伦), Jinbao Song  (宋金宝) & Shuang Li  (李爽)

  2. Key Laboratory of Ocean Circulation and Waves (KLOCAW), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Hailun He  (何海伦), Jinbao Song  (宋金宝) & Shuang Li  (李爽)

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, TAMU 3136, College Station, TX, 77843-3136, USA

    Patrick J. Lynett

  4. Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China

    Hailun He  (何海伦) & Shuang Li  (李爽)

Authors
  1. Hailun He  (何海伦)
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  2. Jinbao Song  (宋金宝)
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  3. Patrick J. Lynett
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  4. Shuang Li  (李爽)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hailun He  (何海伦).

Additional information

Supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (No. 40425015) and the Knowledge Innovation Programs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nos. KZCX1-YW-12 and KZCX2-YW-201).

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He, H., Song, J., Lynett, P.J. et al. Determination of fractional energy loss of waves in nearshore waters using an improved high-order Boussinesq-type model. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 27, 621–629 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-009-9154-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-009-9154-7

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