A Comparative Study of Eddy Viscosity Type Models for Simulating Wave Breaking Induced Energy Dissipation in Boussinesq Models

Abstract

Boussinesq-type models in their original form cannot be used to simulate wave breaking or wave breaking induced energy dissipation across the surf zone, as they are developed under the hypothesis of ideal and irrotational flow. Since these equations restrict the production and the evolution of vorticity within, researchers have used a few closure models to introduce depth limited wave breaking, which primarily incorporates friction type, surface roller type or eddy viscosity type. Within those, a couple of eddy viscosity type models have been used successfully to introduce wave breaking induced energy dissipation nearshore over the years, but with less emphasis on the effect of bottom configuration on wave evolution. Hence, the applicability of two eddy viscosity type closure models for simulating wave breaking induced energy dissipation over seabeds with plane slopes and submerged structures is investigated coupling them into two widely used Boussinesq-type equations, in the present study. A published and a new set of data are used to perform the comparative study of these two sub-models for one dimensional horizontal (1DH) wave transformation.