Numerical Study on Effect of Coastal Pile Arrangements on Wave Characteristics

Abstract

In this study, the passage of waves through pile groups with different arrangements is investigated using a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model. For the simulations, waves of three different heights of 36, 58, and 81 mm, a fixed period of 0.88 s, and a fixed wave length of 1.128 m were used. To simulate the waves and flow pattern through the piles, Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations of fluid motion were solved based on the finite volume method (FVM). Piles were defined as obstacles in the rectangular domain using the fractional area/volume obstacle representation (FAVOR) method. The volume-of-fluid (VOF) and re-normalization group (RNG) methods were used to simulate the free surface and turbulence phenomenon, respectively. By performing different numerical simulations, the effect of coastal pile arrangements on wave pattern was studied and was compared with existing experimental data, and an acceptable agreement was achieved.

Keywords

Pile groups / Wave / Flow 3D / Numerical modeling / Coastal engineering