Field Verification of a Computational Fluid Dynamics Model for Wave Transformation and Breaking in the Surf Zone
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 134, Issue 2
Abstract
The commercial computational fluid dynamics model FLOW-3D (Flow Science, Inc., Santa Fe, N.M.) is used to simulate two-dimensional wave transformation and breaking across a naturally barred beach profile. Fine scale pressures and velocities are computed for a period over a two-dimensional beach profile measured during the 1990 Delilah field experiment. The model is driven by observed wave spectra obtained in water depth, and results compared with a cross-shore array of pressure sensors and current meters extending from near the shoreline to beyond the surf zone and the spatial distribution of wave breaking patterns obtained from video data. In the calculations, wave breaking is a natural consequence of the fluid dynamics and does not require the use of empirical formulations or breaking criteria. Good agreement between modeled and observed wave height transformation, mean cross-shore flow, and wave breaking variability suggests that the model can be used as a numerical laboratory to study the wave breaking and dissipation process in detail, and perhaps lead to improved parametrizations for more computationally efficient numerical models.
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Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the NOAA Sea Grant Technology program. This work was completed while S. C. C. was at Ohio State University, and J. E. R. was employed by Earth Tech., Inc., and Alden Research Lab, Inc. The writers thank J. Brethour and D. Souders of Flow Science, Inc., for assistance with development of boundary conditions, data extraction modules, and operation of the model and D. Foster, H. Smith, and K. Bedford for helpful comments and suggestions. Observations of surf zone pressures and velocities were collected by E. Thornton and T. Stanton of the Naval Postgraduate school, the video data were collected by R. Holman of Oregon State University, and the pressure data in water depth were collected by the staff of the U.S. Army Field Research Facility. The writers gratefully acknowledge the use of their data in this work.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 134 • Issue 2 • March 2008
Pages: 71 - 80
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Apr 18, 2006
Accepted: Dec 28, 2006
Published online: Mar 1, 2008
Published in print: Mar 2008
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