The influence of the turbulence closure model on wave-current interaction modeling at a local scale

Abstract

An advanced CFD solver based on the RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes) equations is used to evaluate wave-current interactions through numerical simulations of combined wave-current free surface turbulent flows. The repercussions of various schemes for modeling turbulence effects is addressed with a special attention to the exchanges and fluxes of momentum and energy between the mean flow components and the wave (oscillatory) component. Numerical simulations are compared with experimental data from Klopman (1994).