Bulk drag coefficient of a subaquatic vegetation subjected to irregular waves: Influence of Reynolds and Keulegan-Carpenter numbers

2020 ◽  
pp. 34-42
Author(s):  
Thibault Chastel ◽  
Kevin Botten ◽  
Nathalie Durand ◽  
Nicole Goutal

Seagrass meadows are essential for protection of coastal erosion by damping wave and stabilizing the seabed. Seagrass are considered as a source of water resistance which modifies strongly the wave dynamics. As a part of EDF R & D seagrass restoration project in the Berre lagoon, we quantify the wave attenuation due to artificial vegetation distributed in a flume. Experiments have been conducted at Saint-Venant Hydraulics Laboratory wave flume (Chatou, France). We measure the wave damping with 13 resistive waves gauges along a distance L = 22.5 m for the “low” density and L = 12.15 m for the “high” density of vegetation mimics. A JONSWAP spectrum is used for the generation of irregular waves with significant wave height Hs ranging from 0.10 to 0.23 m and peak period Tp ranging from 1 to 3 s. Artificial vegetation is a model of Posidonia oceanica seagrass species represented by slightly flexible polypropylene shoots with 8 artificial leaves of 0.28 and 0.16 m height. Different hydrodynamics conditions (Hs, Tp, water depth hw) and geometrical parameters (submergence ratio α, shoot density N) have been tested to see their influence on wave attenuation. For a high submergence ratio (typically 0.7), the wave attenuation can reach 67% of the incident wave height whereas for a low submergence ratio (< 0.2) the wave attenuation is negligible. From each experiment, a bulk drag coefficient has been extracted following the energy dissipation model for irregular non-breaking waves developed by Mendez and Losada (2004). This model, based on the assumption that the energy loss over the species meadow is essentially due to the drag force, takes into account both wave and vegetation parameter. Finally, we found an empirical relationship for Cd depending on 2 dimensionless parameters: the Reynolds and Keulegan-Carpenter numbers. These relationships are compared with other similar studies.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 388
Author(s):  
Huu Phu Nguyen ◽  
Jeong Cheol Park ◽  
Mengmeng Han ◽  
Chien Ming Wang ◽  
Nagi Abdussamie ◽  
...  

Wave attenuation performance is the prime consideration when designing any floating breakwater. For a 2D hydrodynamic analysis of a floating breakwater, the wave attenuation performance is evaluated by the transmission coefficient, which is defined as the ratio between the transmitted wave height and the incident wave height. For a 3D breakwater, some researchers still adopted this evaluation approach with the transmitted wave height taken at a surface point, while others used the mean transmission coefficient within a surface area. This paper aims to first examine the rationality of these two evaluation approaches via verified numerical simulations of 3D heave-only floating breakwaters in regular and irregular waves. A new index—a representative transmission coefficient—is then presented for one to easily compare the wave attenuation performances of different 3D floating breakwater designs.


Author(s):  
Li YIPING ◽  
Desmond Ofosu ANIM ◽  
Ying WANG ◽  
Chunyang TANG ◽  
Wei DU ◽  
...  

This paper presents a well-controlled laboratory experimental study to evaluate wave attenuation by artificial emergent plants (Phragmites australis) under different wave conditions and plant stem densities. Results showed substantial wave damping under investigated regular and irregular wave conditions and also the different rates of wave height and within canopy wave-induced flows as they travelled through the vegetated field under all tested conditions. The wave height decreased by 6%–25% at the insertion of the vegetation field and towards the downstream at a mean of 0.2 cm and 0.32 cm for regular and irregular waves respectively. The significant wave height along the vegetation field ranged from 0.89–1.76 cm and 0.8–1.28 cm with time mean height of 1.38 cm and 1.11 cm respectively for regular and irregular waves. This patterns as affected by plant density and also location from the leading edge of vegetation is investigated in the study. The wave energy attenuated by plant induced friction was predicted in terms of energy dissipation factor (fe) by Nielsen’s (1992) empirical model. Shear stress as a driving force of particle resuspension and the implication of the wave attenuation on near shore protection from erosion and sedimentation was discussed. The results and findings in this study will advance our understanding of wave attenuation by an emergent vegetation of Phragmites australis, in water system engineering like near shore and bank protection and restoration projects and also be employed for management purposes to reduce resuspension and erosion in shallow lakes.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samiksha S. Volvaiker ◽  
Ponnumony Vethamony ◽  
Prasad K. Bhaskaran ◽  
Premanand Pednekar ◽  
MHamsa Jishad ◽  
...  

Abstract. Coastal regions of India are prone to sea level rise, cyclones, storm surges and human induced activities, resulting in flood, erosion, and inundation. The primary aim of the study is to estimate wave attenuation by mangrove vegetation using SWAN model in standalone mode, as well as SWAN nested with WW3 model for the Mumbai coastal region. To substantiate the model results, wave measurements were carried out during 5–8 August 2015 at 3 locations in a transect normal to the coast using surface mounted pressure level sensors under spring tide conditions. The measured data presents wave height attenuation of the order of 52 %. The study shows a linear relationship between wave height attenuation and gradual changes in water level in the nearshore region, in phase with the tides. Model set-up and sensitivity analyses were conducted to understand the model performance to vegetation parameters. It was observed that wave attenuation increased with an increase in drag coefficient (Cd), vegetation density, and stem diameter. For a typical set-up for Mumbai coastal region having vegetation density of 0.175 per m2, stem diameter of 0.3 m and drag coefficient varying from 0.4 to 1.5, the model reproduced attenuation, ranging from 49 to 55 %, which matches well with the measured data. Spectral analysis performed for the cases with and without vegetation very clearly portrays energy dissipation in the vegetation area as well as spectral changes. This study has the potential of improving the quality of wave prediction in vegetation areas, especially during monsoon season and extreme weather events.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien Ming Wang ◽  
Huu Phu Nguyen ◽  
Jeong Cheol Park ◽  
Mengmeng Han ◽  
Nagi abdussamie ◽  
...  

&lt;p&gt;Floating breakwaters have been used to protect shorelines, marinas, very large floating structures, dockyards, fish farms, harbours and ports from harsh wave environments. A floating breakwater outperforms its bottom-founded counterpart with respect to its environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness in relatively deep waters or soft seabed conditions, flexibility for expansion and downsizing and its mobility to be towed away. The effectiveness of a floating breakwater design is assessed by its wave attenuation performance that is measured by the wave transmission coefficient (i.e., the ratio of the transmitted wave height to the incident wave height or the ratio of the transmitted wave energy to the incident wave energy). In some current design guidelines for floating breakwaters, the transmission coefficient is estimated based on the assumption that the realistic ocean waves may be represented by regular waves that are characterized by the significant wave period and wave height of the wave spectrum. There is no doubt that the use of regular waves is simple for practicing engineers designing floating breakwaters. However, the validity and accuracy of using regular waves in the evaluation of wave attenuation performance of floating breakwaters have not been thoroughly discussed in the open literature. This study examines the wave transmission coefficients of floating breakwaters by performing hydrodynamic analysis of some large floating breakwaters in ocean waves modelled as regular waves as well as irregular waves described by a wave spectrum such as the Bretschneider spectrum. The formulation of the governing fluid motion and boundary conditions are based on classical linear hydrodynamic theory. The floating breakwater is assumed to take the shape of a long rectangular box modelled by the Mindlin thick plate theory. The finite element &amp;#8211; boundary element method was employed to solve the fluid-structure interaction problem. By considering heave-only floating box-type breakwaters of 200m and 500m in length, it is found that the transmission coefficients obtained by using the regular wave model may be smaller (or larger) than that obtained by using the irregular wave model by up to 55% (or 40%). These significant differences in the transmission coefficient estimated by using regular and irregular waves indicate that simplifying assumption of realistic ocean waves as regular waves leads to significant over/underprediction of wave attenuation performance of floating breakwaters. Thus, when designing floating breakwaters, the ocean waves have to be treated as irregular waves modelled by a wave spectrum that best describes the wave condition at the site. This conclusion is expected to motivate a revision of design guidelines for floating breakwaters for better prediction of wave attenuation performance. Also, it is expected to affect how one carries out experiments on floating breakwaters in a wave basin to measure the wave transmission coefficients.&lt;/p&gt;


1986 ◽  
Vol 1 (20) ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Peter Riedel ◽  
Anthony Paul Byrne

According to wave theories the depth limited wave height over a horizontal seabed has a wave height to water depth ratio (H/d) of about 0.8. Flume experiments with monochromatic waves over a horizontal seabed have failed to produce H/d ratios greater than 0.55. However designers still tend to use H/d 0.8 for their design waves. Experiments have been carried out using random wave trains in the flume over a horizontal seabed. These experiments have shown that the limiting H/d ratio of 0.55 applies equally well to random waves.


2016 ◽  
Vol 858 ◽  
pp. 354-358
Author(s):  
Tao You ◽  
Li Ping Zhao ◽  
Zheng Xiao ◽  
Lun Chao Huang ◽  
Xiao Rui Han

Within the surf zone which is the region extending from the seaward boundary of wave breaking to the limit of wave uprush, breaking waves are the dominant hydrodynamics acting as the key role for sediment transport and beach profile change. Breaking waves exhibit various patterns, principally depending on the incident wave steepness and the beach slope. Based on the equations of conservation of mass, momentum and energy, a theoretical model for wave transformation in and outside the surf zone was obtained, which is used to calculate the wave shoaling, wave set-up and set down and wave height distributions in and outside the surf zone. The analysis and comparison were made about the breaking point location and the wave height variation caused by the wave breaking and the bottom friction, and about the wave breaking criterion under regular and irregular breaking waves. Flume experiments relating to the regular and irregular breaking wave height distribution across the surf zone were conducted to verify the theoretical model. The agreement is good between the theoretical and experimental results.


Author(s):  
Yavuz Ozeren ◽  
Daniel Wren ◽  
Weiming Wu

In this study, wave height evolution and wave setup were measured in a laboratory wave tank with a sloping beach covered with rigid and flexible artificial vegetation under regular and irregular wave conditions. The experiments were conducted in a 20.6 m long, 0.69 m wide and 1.22 m deep wave tank at the USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, MS, USA. Regular and irregular waves were generated using a computer controlled piston type wave generator. A plane wooden beach with a 1:21 slope was constructed at the down-wave end of the wave tank, 11.5 m away from the wave paddle. Rigid vegetation was constructed out of wooden dowels and flexible vegetation was constructed using polyurethane tubes. Both vegetation models were 3.1 mm in diameter and 0.2 m long and had a population density of 3,182 stems/m2. The results were compared with those from experiments on a non-vegetated plane beach. Both rigid and flexible vegetation models reduced the wave height and wave setup substantially, but rigid vegetation typically performed better in reducing wave setup. For some of the experiments, no wave breaking was observed over the vegetated models, indicating that wave attenuation due to vegetation reduced the shoaling rate. For other experiments, wave breaking was observed and wave height attenuation was very small; however, wave setup was still significantly lower than in the plane beach experiments.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 4825-4834
Author(s):  
Zhilin Zhang ◽  
Bensheng Huang ◽  
Chao Tan ◽  
Xiangju Cheng

Abstract. Vegetation in wetlands is a large-scale nature-based resource providing a myriad of services for human beings and the environment, such as dissipating incoming wave energy and protecting coastal areas. For understanding wave height attenuation by vegetation, there are two main traditional calibration approaches to the drag effect acting on the vegetation. One of them is based on the rule that wave height decays through the vegetated area by a reciprocal function and another by an exponential function. In both functions, the local wave height reduces with distance from the beginning of the vegetation depending on damping factors. These two damping factors, which are usually obtained from calibration by measured local wave height, are linked to the drag coefficient and measurable parameters, respectively. So the drag coefficient that quantifies the effect of the vegetation can be calculated by different methods, followed by connecting this coefficient to hydraulic parameters to make it predictable. In this study, two relations between these two damping factors and methods to calculate the drag coefficient have been investigated by 99 laboratory experiments. Finally, relations between the drag coefficient and relevant hydraulic parameters were analyzed. The results show that emergent conditions of the vegetation should be considered when studying the drag coefficient; traditional methods which had overlooked this condition cannot perform well when the vegetation was emerged. The new method based on the relation between these two damping factors performed as well as the well-recognized method for emerged and submerged vegetation. Additionally, the Keulegan–Carpenter number can be a suitable hydraulic parameter to predict the drag coefficient and only the experimental setup, especially the densities of the vegetation, can affect the prediction equations.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhilin Zhang ◽  
Bensheng Huang ◽  
Chao Tan ◽  
Hui Chen ◽  
Xiangju Cheng

Abstract. Vegetation in wetlands is a large-scale nature-based resource providing a myriad of services for human beings and the environment, such as dissipating incoming wave energy and protecting coastal areas. For understanding wave height attenuation by vegetation, there are two main traditional calibration approaches to the drag effect acting on the vegetation. One of them is based on the rule that wave height decays through the vegetated area by a reciprocal function and another by an exponential function. In both functions, the local wave height reduces with distance from the beginning of the vegetation depending on a damping factor (Eqs. (1) and (4)). These damping factors α' and k' are linked to the drag coefficient CD and measurable parameters (Eqs. (3) and (5)). So there are two methods to predict CD that quantify the effect of vegetation. In this study, a new equation is derived that connects these two damping factors (Eq. (12)). The different relations and methods to predicting the drag coefficient CD have been investigated by 99 laboratory experiments. Finally, different relations between CD and relevant parameters (Re, KC, and Ur) have been analyzed. The results show that α' approximately equals k' only for fully submerged vegetation, while the new equation can be used for both emerged and submerged canopy. It appears that the methods for predicting CD by Dean (1979) and Kobayashi et al. (1993) are consistent with the well-recognized method by Dalrymple et al. (1984) for submerged vegetated canopy. But when the vegetation emerges, only the new method based on Eq. (12) leads to almost the same results as Dalrymple et al. (1984). Hence, Eq. (12) has built a bridge between these two approaches for the wave attenuation by vegetation and has proved applicable to emergent conditions of vegetation as well.


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiernan Kelty ◽  
Tori Tomiczek ◽  
Daniel Thomas Cox ◽  
Pedro Lomonaco ◽  
William Mitchell

This study investigates the potential of a Rhizophora mangrove forest of moderate cross-shore thickness to attenuate wave heights using an idealized prototype-scale physical model constructed in a 104 m long wave flume. An 18 m long cross-shore transect of an idealized red mangrove forest based on the trunk-prop root system was constructed in the flume. Two cases with forest densities of 0.75 and 0.375 stems/m2 and a third baseline case with no mangroves were considered. LiDAR was used to quantify the projected area per unit height and to estimate the effective diameter of the system. The methodology was accurate to within 2% of the known stem diameters and 10% of the known prop root diameters. Random and regular wave conditions seaward, throughout, and inland of the forest were measured to determine wave height decay rates and drag coefficients for relative water depths ranging 0.36 to 1.44. Wave height decay rates ranged 0.008–0.021 m–1 for the high-density cases and 0.004–0.010 m–1 for the low-density cases and were found to be a function of water depth. Doubling the forest density increased the decay rate by a factor two, consistent with previous studies for other types of emergent vegetation. Drag coefficients ranged 0.4–3.8, and were found to be dependent on the Reynolds number. Uncertainty in the estimates of the drag coefficient due to the measured projected area and measured wave attenuation was quantified and found to have average combined standard deviations of 0.58 and 0.56 for random and regular waves, respectively. Two previous reduced-scale studies of wave attenuation by mangroves compared well with the present study when their Reynolds numbers were re-scaled by λ3/2 where λ is the prototype-to-model geometric scale ratio. Using the combined data sets, an equation is proposed to estimate the drag coefficient for a Rhizophora mangrove forest: CD = 0.6 + 3e04/ReDBH with an uncertainty of 0.69 over the range 5e03 &lt; ReDBH &lt; 1.9e05, where ReDBH is based on the tree diameter at breast height. These results may improve engineering guidance for the use of mangroves and other emergent vegetation in coastal wave attenuation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document