Performance of Porous Marine Structures of Single and Double Perforated Seawalls in Regular Oblique Waves

Abstract

In the present paper we examine the performance of two very common types of wave absorbing porous marine structures under regular oblique waves. The first structure consists of a single perforated vertical seawall, whereas the second consists of two perforated vertical seawalls creating what is called a chamber system (Jarlan type breakwater). The structures are surface piercing thus eliminating wave overtopping. Two methods are used for the present investigation. In the first method the problem of the interaction of obliquely incident linear waves upon a pair of porous vertical seawalls is first formulated in the context of the linear diffraction theory. The resulting boundary integral equation, which is matched with far-field solutions represented in terms of analytical series with unknown coefficients, and appropriate boundary conditions at the free surface, seabed and seawalls, is then solved numerically using the multi-domain boundary element method. In the second method a semi-analytical solution is developed by means of the eigenfunction expansions and a minimization approach using a least square method. In both methods the dissipation of the wave energy due to the presence of the perforated seawalls is represented by a simple yet effective relation in terms of the porosity parameter appropriate for thin perforated walls. The results are presented in terms of reflection and transmission coefficients, and the wave energy dissipation. Effects of the incident wave angles, porosities and depths of the walls and other major parameters of interest are explored.