Recent Results from Analysis of Flow Structures and Energy Modes Induced by Viscous Wave around a Surface-Piercing Cylinder

Abstract

Due to its relevance in ocean engineering, the subject of the flow field generated by water waves around a vertical circular cylinder piercing the free surface has recently started to be considered by several research groups. In particular, we studied this problem starting from the velocity-potential framework, then the implementation of the numerical solution of the Euler equations in their velocity-pressure formulation, and finally the performance of the integration of the Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variables. We also developed and applied methods of extraction of the flow coherent structures and most energetic modes. In this work, we present some new results of our research directed, in particular, toward the clarification of the main nonintuitive character of the phenomenon of interaction between a wave and a surface-piercing cylinder, namely, the fact that the wave exerts its maximum force and exhibits its maximum run-up on the cylindrical obstacle at different instants. The understanding of this phenomenon becomes of crucial importance in the perspective of governing the entity of the wave run-up on the obstacle by means of wave-flow-control techniques.