Numerical Modelling of Wave Reflection from Port Structures for Reliable Forecasting of Berth Downtime

Forecast of wave agitation inside port basins and consequent downtime of berth positions are of utmost importance to make a port “smarter” by efficiently managing its infrastructure. Within Accu-Waves project (http://accuwaves.eu), a decision-making tool is being developed to provide forecast data on prevailing sea states in the vicinity of port entrances and inside harbour basins. The said tool will be based on cooperating hydrodynamic models that derive data from global scale, open sea forecasts. The implementation of the project includes development and application of a hydrodynamic circulation model, a spectral wave propagation model and a phase-resolving wave model for port basins. The latter is based on the hyperbolic mild-slope (HMS) equations, capable of simulating wave propagation and reflection. In order to achieve higher levels of simulation accuracy in the vicinity of waterfront structures, we need to robustly model the reflection of incipient waves from such structures (e.g., quay walls). In the present paper, this need is met through the incorporation of an additional, case-specific eddy viscosity coefficient to the governing mild-slope equations (of the phase-resolving wave model). This coefficient accounts for the energy dissipation on port structures’ fronts and its value is decided based on the corresponding reflection coefficient. A basic set of incident wave scenarios are simulated, required in investigating the numerics of reflection by the corresponding eddy viscosity coefficients in the wave model. Our pilot investigation refers to numerical experiments for several cases of waves approaching an either fully or partially reflective vertical quay wall. The proposed methodology could enhance similar HMS models; its results should be valuable for port operators.