Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (Jun 2024)

Hydrodynamic Performance Assessment of Emerged, Alternatively Submerged and Submerged Semicircular Breakwater: An Experimental and Computational Study

  • Faris Ali Hamood Al-Towayti,
  • Hee-Min Teh,
  • Zhe Ma,
  • Idris Ahmed Jae,
  • Agusril Syamsir,
  • Ebrahim Hamid Hussein Al-Qadami

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12071105
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 7
p. 1105

Abstract

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Coastal protection structures are essential defenses against wave energy, safeguarding coastal communities. This study aims to refine coastal protection strategies by employing a semicircular breakwater (SBW) model. Through a combination of physical and computational models, the hydrodynamic properties of the SBW under regular wave conditions were thoroughly examined. The primary objectives included delineating the hydrodynamic characteristics of SBWs, developing a computational model to validate experimental findings. Hydrodynamic characteristics of the SBW model were scrutinized across various wave conditions. Experimental testing in a wave flume covered a range of relative water depths (d/h) from 0.667 to 1.667, wave steepness (Hi/L) spanning 0.02 to 0.06 and wave periods ranging from 0.8 to 2.5 s. Notably, analysis of an emerged SBW with d/h = 0.667 revealed superior wave reflection, while an alternative submerged SBW with d/h = 1.000 showed the highest energy loss. These findings are further corroborated by the validation of computational models against experimental outcomes for d/h = 0.667, 1.000, 1.333 and 1.667. Moreover, the investigation of forces revealed an inverse correlation between horizontal forces and wave height, while vertical forces showed nuanced variations, including a slightly decreasing average vertical force with greater relative wave period (B/L) for different immersion scenarios.

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