In the event of a Tsunami wave impact or a strong storm surge on a shore near critical infrastructures, a detailed 3D analysis of the wave runup may be necessary in order to accurately understand the nature of the potential damage and characteristics of the on-coming wave propagation pattern. FLOW-3D has been successfully used to obtain high accuracy flood and maximum water depth maps in such cases.
A three dimensional analysis of wave run-up on coastlines and infrastructures allows engineers to capture the effects of splash, transient pressure forcing (on piers, windows, walls, etc.) as well as the detailed interactions between the flow and sometimes very complex local topography.
Visualization of wave patterns and run-ups on a GBS using FLOW-3D. The wave was a regular wave of 5.5 m wave height and 8.4 sec period. The scale was 1:40. Courtesy Oceanic Consulting.
Modeling Wave Generation
FLOW-3D‘s surface wave generator model based on Fourier series extends the wave generation capability to all periodic non-linear waves. Tsunami waves can be simulated using a solitary wave model; a random wave generator creates realistic wave conditions at open sea; and a periodic wave profile can be used to define fluid initial conditions to speed up the approach to a steady-state wave pattern. For more information about FLOW-3D‘s wave models, visit the modeling capability section.