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Turbulence structure and interaction with steep breaking waves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2011

DJAMEL LAKEHAL  and
PETAR LIOVIC
DJAMEL LAKEHAL*
Affiliation:
ASCOMP GmbH Zürich, Technoparkstrasse 1, H22, Zurich 8005, Switzerland
PETAR LIOVIC
Affiliation:
CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Graham Road, Highett VIC 3190, Australia
*
†Email address for correspondence: [email protected]
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Abstract

Large-eddy and interface simulation using an interface tracking-based multi-fluid flow solver is conducted to investigate the breaking of steep water waves on a beach of constant bed slope. The present investigation focuses mainly on the ‘weak plunger’ breaking wave type and provides a detailed analysis of the two-way interaction between the mean fluid flow and the sub-modal motions, encompassing wave dynamics and turbulence. The flow is analysed from two points of views: mean to sub-modal exchange, and wave to turbulence interaction within the sub-modal range. Wave growth and propagation are due to energy transfer from the mean flow to the waves, and transport of mean momentum by these waves. The vigorous downwelling–upwelling patterns developing at the head and tail of each breaker are shown to generate both negative- and positive-signed energy exchange contributions in the thin sublayer underneath the water surface. The details of these exchange mechanisms are thoroughly discussed in this paper, together with the interplay between three-dimensional small-scale breaking associated with turbulence and the dominant two-dimensional wave motion. A conditional zonal analysis is proposed for the first time to understand the transient mechanisms of turbulent kinetic energy production, decay, diffusion and transport and their dependence and/or impact on surface wrinkling over the entire breaking process. The simulations provide a thorough picture of air–liquid coherent structures that develop over the breaking process, and link them to the transient mechanisms responsible for their local incidence.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Air/sea interactions Geophysical and Geological Flows: Coastal engineering Waves/Free-surface Flows: Wave breaking
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 674 , 10 May 2011 , pp. 522 - 577
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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