Spectral AB simulations for coastal and ocean engineering applications

For simulating phase-resolved waves in large coastal and oceanic areas, as well as in confined coastal areas and ports, efficient, stable and accurate Boussinesq type of equations for irrotational flows are much desired. Results can also be used as input for CFD calculations on smaller domains when viscous and vorticial effects need to be included. In this contribution, we present examples of recent results using the AB (Analytic Boussinesq) model that has been developed based on consistent modelling of the Hamiltonian formulation of free surface waves. The pseudo-spectral AB code with various order of nonlinearity can deal with breaking waves and with spatial inhomogeneities such as bathymetry and harbour walls with fully or partially reflecting walls and breakwaters. A separate Radar Module can reconstruct and predict phase-resolved waves from radar images, and a Ship Module can deal with fully coupled wave–ship–structure interactions. In this paper, we illustrate the performance of simulations for three application areas: wave tank experiments, incoming waves in a harbour with deep access channel, and extreme, freak waves in Draupner seas as introduced in van Groesen et al., OEME 2017.