Wenang XIE

This research is dedicated to examining downslope sediment transport on steep shorefaces. We present a model that incorporates nonlinear surface wave profiles, sediment movement thresholds, and slope effects, utilizing a set of semi-empirical formulas. The model quantitatively assesses the disparity between wave-augmented upslope transport and gravity-augmented downslope transport, and computes sediment transport rates using a single calibration coefficient. Validation of the model is carried out in the Fuji coast of Japan, where offshore wave conditions and seabed topography with a uniform grain size distribution serve as inputs. The computational outcomes reveal that sediment transport primarily occurs under high wave conditions, and downslope transport dominates on steep slopes. The calibration coefficient is determined through a comparison with observed data, demonstrating a strong agreement in the average annual sediment loss in the target area. Moreover, the model offers insights into the possible mechanism behind the existence of a transition area between the upper and lower shoreface, marked by an abrupt change in seabed slope.

The impingement process of water surge onto a vertical wall and the impact pressure are studied analytically in this work. We propose a new initial-boundary value problem particularly for the fluid motion near the corner of the horizontal bed and the vertical wall. The explicit solutions of the velocity and the pressure fields are analytically obtained using the self-similarity method under some verifiable physical assumptions. The impact pressure is found to be proportional to the product of the squared incident surge front velocity and the density of water, with a constant coefficient of around 0.867. We compare the analytical solution of the impact pressure with some existing laboratory data. The analytical solution agrees with the median value of the stochastic data of impact pressure from laboratory experiments. Subsequently, the velocity and the pressure fields from the analytical model are compared to the numerical simulation results based on OpenFOAM. The comparisons validate the physical assumptions made in the analytical derivation, demonstrating fair consistency. The analytical model successfully describes the early stage of the contact process between the surge front and the wall and provides a theoretical basis for the physics of water surge impingement.

This study aimed to propose a stochastic model for the impact pressure generated by water surge impingement onto a vertical wall. Carefully controlled laboratory experiments were conducted in a small-scale flume under four different surge conditions. Using pressure sensors and a high-speed video camera, we repeatedly measured the surge-induced pressures on the wall together with the surge parameters right before impingement, e.g. the surge front velocity and slope, under each condition. The impact pressure tended to increase linearly with the squared surge front velocity but with high data scattering, reflecting its stochastic nature. Meanwhile, it exhibited limited dependency on the surge front slope, especially at the bottom of the wall, contrary to Cumberbatch's theory of surge impact pressure. We investigated the stochastic properties of the impingement process from the experimental data and proposed a stochastic model of the impact pressure based on an extreme value probability distribution (the Fréchet distribution). The proposed model, which involved only the surge front velocity, fit well with the present dataset and experimental data randomly collected from various literature works. We confirmed that the predictive model is potentially applicable to a wide range of surge impingement problems.

A new semi-empirical formula for calculating the breaking depth of plunging breakers is proposed in this study. The shallow water equation is used as the governing equation, and the wave front slope, which is one of the key parameters that governs the breaking criterion, is obtained from it analytically. The analytical formula was then modified based on both physical considerations and historical laboratory data. The accuracy of the resulting semi-empirical formula was examined using two sets of new laboratory data - including laboratory experiments performed by the authors - in order to verify its applicability. The results indicate that the proposed new formula is more accurate than existing formulas.

Theoretical and laboratory studies are performed to analyze the wave attenuation phenomenon over fluid mud under current. In the theoretical part, a semi-empirical formula is derived to model the attenuation process under current. Based on the linear wave theory, the change of wave amplitude is related with the averaged damping effect of the muddy bed. By solving a differential equation, the exponential decay of the wave amplitude is confirmed. A function called damping function is used in the formula, and it is expanded into a series of wave parameters and some undetermined coefficients called auxiliary damping factors. Based on the assumption that the mud properties do not change under current, the formula is combined with the dispersion relation for linear wave under uniform current to describe the attenuation process under current. Laboratory experiments are conducted first without current. The data of wave attenuation are collected and inserted to the formula obtained in the theoretical analysis to figure out the values of the auxiliary damping factors. The second set of experiments is conducted under current and the collected data are compared with the calculated values obtained by using the newly proposed formula with the dispersion relation. The result of comparison shows good applicability of the new formula to the wave attenuation under current.