Experimental Analysis of the Interaction of Water Waves With Flexible Structures

An experimental investigation of the interaction of water waves with flexible structures acting as breakwaters was carried out. Wave profiles, mapped out by water level measuring transducers, were studied to provide information on the performance of different breakwater models. A new signal analysis procedure for determining reflection coefficients based on wavelet theory was developed and compared to a conventional method. The reliability of using wavelet analysis to separate a partial standing wave into incident and reflected wave components was verified with a numerical example. It was also verified by the small variance in the estimates of the incident wave height from independent experimental measurements. Different geometries of rigid and flexible structures were constructed and examined. Reflection, transmission and energy loss coefficients were obtained over them. The influence of various properties of the models, such as the width and the internal pressure, on the effectiveness in reflecting or absorbing the incident wave energy was determined. Various factors which affect the performance of the breakwater, including the water depth, the wave length and the wave amplitude, were measured and documented. Suspended and bottom-mounted models were considered. The flow field over and near a hemi-cylindrical breakwater model was also examined using a flow visualization technique. An overall comparison among the models has also been provided. The results showed that the rectangular models, rigid and flexible, are the most effective structures to dissipate wave energy. The flow visualization technique indicated that the flow conforms with the circular geometry of a hemi-cylindrical breakwater model, yielding no flow separation.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Engineering Mechanics

Department dc:contributor.department

Engineering Mechanics

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2000

Author dc:creator

• Stamos, Dimitrios Georgios

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Hajj, Muhammad R.
• Telionis, Demetri P.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Plaut, Raymond H.
• Diplas, Panayiotis
• Hendricks, Scott L.

• Morlet wavelet
• reflection
• transmission and energy loss coefficients
• flexible breakwaters
• flow visualization

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-05072000-17180046

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/27567