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Comparing methods of modeling depth-induced breaking of irregular waves with a fully nonlinear potential flow approach

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Abstract

The modeling of wave-breaking dissipation in coastal areas is investigated with a fully nonlinear and dispersive wave model. The wave propagation model is based on potential flow theory, which initially assumes non-overturning waves. Including the impacts of wave-breaking dissipation is, however, possible by implementing a wave breaking initiation criterion and dissipation mechanism. Three criteria from the literature, including a geometric, kinematic, and dynamic-type criterion, are tested to determine the optimal criterion predicting the onset of wave breaking. Three wave-breaking energy dissipation methods are also tested: the first two are based on the analogy of a breaking wave with a hydraulic jump, and the third one applies an eddy viscosity dissipative term. Numerical simulations are performed using combinations of the three breaking onset criteria and three dissipation methods. The simulation results are compared to observations from four laboratory experiments of regular and irregular waves breaking over a submerged bar, irregular waves breaking on a beach, and irregular waves breaking over a submerged slope. The different breaking approaches provide similar results after proper calibration. The wave transformation observed in the experiments is reproduced well, with better results for the case of regular waves than irregular waves. Moreover, the wave statistics and wave spectra are predicted well in general, and in particular for regular waves. Some differences are observed for irregular wave cases, in particular in the low-frequency range. This is attributed to incomplete absorption of the long waves in the numerical model. Otherwise, the wave spectra in the range \([0.5f_{\text {p}},\, 5f_{\text {p}}]\) are reproduced well before, within, and after the breaking zone for the three irregular wave experiments.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Prof. S. Beji for providing the laboratory data for waves breaking over the bar, Prof. J. T. Kirby for providing the laboratory data of irregular waves breaking on the beach and Dr. S. Husrin for providing laboratory data of irregular waves breaking on the submerged slope. This work was carried out in the framework of the DEPHYMAN project. It has received funding from Excellence Initiative of Aix-Marseille University - A*MIDEX, a French “Investissements d’Avenir” programme with reference ANR-11-IDEX-0001-02. It has been carried out in the framework of the Labex MEC (Mécanique et Complexité), with reference ANR-10-LABX-0092. C. Papoutsellis, M. Benoit and M. Yates also acknowledge support from the DiMe project, which benefits from French Government support managed by the ANR under the program “Investissements d’Avenir” with the reference ANR-10-IEED-0006-14.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Irphé (UMR 7342), Marseille, France

    Bruno Simon, Christos E. Papoutsellis & Michel Benoit

  2. Laboratoire d’Hydraulique Saint-Venant, Ecole des Ponts, Cerema, EDF, Université Paris-Est, Chatou, France

    Christos E. Papoutsellis & Marissa L. Yates

  3. Cerema, Water, Sea and Rivers, Environment and Risks Department, Plouzané, France

    Marissa L. Yates

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  1. Bruno Simon
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  2. Christos E. Papoutsellis
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Correspondence to Bruno Simon.

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Simon, B., Papoutsellis, C.E., Benoit, M. et al. Comparing methods of modeling depth-induced breaking of irregular waves with a fully nonlinear potential flow approach. J. Ocean Eng. Mar. Energy 5, 365–383 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40722-019-00154-7

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