Irregular Wavemaker (Piston Type) in a Numerical and Physical Wave Tank

Abstract

This paper describes the design and execution of a wavemaker system (piston type) in the Dokuz Eylül University Hydraulic Laboratory flume to perform hydraulic model tests using regular and irregular waves. In this study, we will focus on generating the irregular waves from the target JONSWAP spectrum using an adjusted random phase method; also, the control software of the wavemaker is described. An identical numerical channel wave to the physical flume was modeled to compare and observe the irregular wave profile using Flow 3D, one of the advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. The paddle movement was validated by comparing the experimental converted irregular wave surface elevations to the wave spectrum to the numerical models of several waves.