Numerical Analysis of the Turbulent Flow Characteristics Around Submerged Permeable Breakwaters

A breakwater is a structure used to reduce the energy of waves. When used properly, they can protect coasts from being affected by waves. One such application is to lessen erosion along Louisiana’s coastlines, where wave action is strong and is the main source of the erosion. Additionally, the breakwater can change how sediments are transported, and allow for the deposition and accumulation of sediment at target areas. This research aims to give a numerical comparison of the effectiveness of three different breakwater designs, and reveal the turbulence characteristics downstream of the breakwaters. Three breakwaters are examined: a solid panel without any holes, another panel with one hole, and a third panel with three holes. These breakwaters are expected to be placed on the banks of various water bodies in coastal Louisiana, to protect the surrounding wetlands from coastal erosion and land losses. The designs aim to reduce the wave action from the water bodies, while the holes on them allow the sediments to pass through and deposit on the wetlands downstream. To run the simulations, the CFD software ANSYS FLUENT was used. The numerical results were compared to experimental data, and the good agreement proves the accuracy of the results. The effects of different wave patterns on the downstream turbulence were also analyzed and discussed in this study.