Computation of Shoaling And Breaking Waves In Nearshore Areas By the Coupling of BEM And VOF Methods

Abstract

A combined boundary element method (BEM) and volume of fluid (VOF) model is developed to calculate the transformation of shoaling and breaking waves in nearshore areas. Due to its better accuracy and efficiency for non-breaking waves, the BEM model is used to carry out most of the wave propagation from open waters to the upper slope, up to close to the breaking point. VOF computations of similar resolution are at least 50 times slower, and can be affected by numerical diffusion.