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Abstract: The problem of wave propagation and wave damping in a channel with side porous mattresses of arbitrary shape protruding from the walls is studied. The solution was achieved by applying 3-D boundary element method and was employed to study wave field in the channel and to analyze the effect of the geometry of the mattresses and physical and hydraulic properties of porous material on wave damping. The results show that wave damping in the channel strongly depends on wave parameters, especially, on the wave number. Wave reflection and transmission decrease with increasing the wave number. The results also show that the wave field in the channel strongly depends on the geometry of the mattresses as well as on physical and hydraulic properties of porous material used to build these wave dampers. The geometry of the mattresses and physical and hydraulic properties of porous material have a moderate effect on wave reflection and a significant effect on wave transmission. The results show that wave transmission down the channel decreases with increasing the length and thickness of the mattresses. Moreover, wave transmission decreases with increasing the porosity and damping properties of porous media used to build the mattresses. The analysis shows that porous mattresses protruding from the channel walls are very efficient in damping water waves propagating down the channel and may be built in channels to reduce high waves and achieve desired wave conditions. Theoretical results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A semi-analytical nonlinear wavemaker model is derived to predict the generation and propagation of transient nonlinear waves in a wave flume. The solution is very efficient and is achieved by applying eigenfunction expansions and FFT. The model is applied to study the effect of the wavemaker and its motion on the generation and propagation of nonlinear waves. The results indicate that the linear wavemaker theory may be applied to predict only the generation of waves of low steepness for which the nonlinear terms in the kinematic wavemaker boundary condition and free-surface boundary conditions are of secondary importance. For waves of moderate steepness and steep waves these nonlinear terms have substantial effects on wave profile and wave spectrum just after the wavemaker. A wave spectrum corresponding to a sinusoidally moving wavemaker possesses a multi-peak form with substantial nonlinear components, which disturbs or may even exclude physical modeling in wave flumes. The analysis shows that the widely recognized weakly nonlinear wavemaker theory may only be applied to describe the generation and propagation of waves of low steepness. This is subject to further restrictions in shallow and deep waters because the kinematic wavemaker boundary condition as well as the nonlinear interaction of wave components and the evolution of wave energy spectrum is not properly described by weakly nonlinear wavemaker theory. Laboratory experiments were conducted in a wave flume to verify the nonlinear wavemaker model. The comparisons show a reasonable agreement between predicted and measured free-surface elevation and the corresponding amplitudes of Fourier series. A reasonable agreement between theoretical results and experimental data is observed even for fairly steep waves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]