A Coupled Finite Difference and Weighted Least Squares Simulation of Violent Breaking Wave Impact

Two model for simulation of free surface flow are presented. The first model is a finite difference based potential flow model with non-linear kinematic and dynamic free surface boundary conditions. The second model is a weighted least squares based incompressible and inviscid flow model. A special feature of this model is a generalized finite point set method which is applied to the solution of the Poisson equation on an unstructured point distribution. The presented finite point set method is generalized to arbitrary order of approximation. The two models are applied to simulation of steep and overturning wave impacts on a vertical breakwater. Wave groups with five different wave heights are propagated from offshore to the vicinity of the breakwater, where the waves are steep, but still smooth and non-overturning. These waves are used as initial condition for the weighted least squares based incompressible and inviscid model and the wave impacts on the vertical breakwater are simulated in this model. The resulting maximum pressures and forces on the breakwater are relatively high when compared with other studies and this is due to the incompressible nature of the present model.