Experimental Study of Three‐Dimensional Wave Breaking
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 120, Issue 1
Abstract
The present study investigates two cases of three‐dimensional wave breaking. In the first case, the wave field contains a single frequency with a uniform angular spreading within a given range . The wave field of the second case consists of a number of frequencies with a uniform angular spreading applied to each frequency. In both cases, the waves are designed such that the wave energy is focused at a given point. Surface elevation in the focusing region is recorded and parameters such as the breaking‐wave height and the crest‐front steepness are calculated. It is shown that the wave height, crest elevation, crest‐front steepness, and vertical asymmetry factor, at breaking, are strong functions of the angular spreading, while the crest‐rear steepness and horizontal asymmetry factor are little affected by the angular spreading. In general, the greater the spreading angle, the bigger are the breakers. It is hoped that the results obtained here will provide a useful preliminary assessment of the importance of three‐dimensionality in wave breaking.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 120 • Issue 1 • January 1994
Pages: 20 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 29, 1992
Published online: Jan 1, 1994
Published in print: Jan 1994
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