Numerical simulation of scour pattern and scour depth prediction in front of a vertical breakwater using OpenFOAM

摘要

In the present work, an innovative numerical approach was developed coupling two models in order to simulate the wave propagation and the scour in front of a vertical breakwater. The first model, synthesized on the basis of OpenFOAM (version 2.4.0) is used to describe the hydrodynamic characteristics of the flow and the wave propagation while the second one is applied for the sediment transport and scour simulation using the results of the first model. The method above constitutes an iterative procedure which is tested here and seems to yield satisfactory numerical results in comparison with experimental data (Xie 1981).