Three-dimensional reversed horseshoe vortex structures under broken solitary waves

Rozita J. Farahani*, Robert A. Dalrymple

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

Turbulent vortical structures under broken solitary waves are studied using three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. The numerical model predicts water surface evolution and horizontal velocity very well in comparison with the experimental results. The numerical results detect organized coherent structures characterized as reversed horseshoe (hairpin) vortices being generated at the back of the broken spilling wave and traveling downward. The counter rotating legs of the reversed horseshoe structures appear to be a continuous form of the previously found obliquely descending eddies. The reversed horseshoe structures are associated with the turbulence motion of sweep events (downwelling motion) and transport momentum and turbulent kinetic energy downward into the water column. Vortex turning play an important role on the generation and evolution of three dimensional reversed horseshoe structures from the spanwise breaking wave rollers.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)261-279
Number of pages19
JournalCoastal Engineering
Volume91
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2014

Keywords

  • Obliquely descending eddies
  • Reversed horseshoe vortices
  • Smoothed particle hydrodynamics method
  • Solitary wave

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Ocean Engineering

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