Gravity wave interaction with a heaving membrane above a thick porous bed

Abstract

The present study analyzes diffraction and radiation phenomena of oblique waves interacting with a heaving floating membrane in the presence of a thick porous bed. Following the linear water wave theory, the physical problem is framed mathematically. The significance of the article resides in the following: (1) progressive wave analysis (water and membrane-covered region), (2) solving the boundary value problem (BVP) using the matched eigenfunction expansion method for diffraction and radiation problems, and (3) numerical illustration of various hydrodynamic coefficients for different membrane and porous bed parameters. Bragg scattering with varying frequency is observed for smaller values of membrane tension. Also, the present study demonstrates that the number of oscillations experienced by the reflection coefficient increases proportionally with the length of the membrane. Furthermore, cut-off membrane properties exist at a given frequency for which the zero minimum of wave force is obtained. Also, the porous bed's thickness impacts wave reflection and membrane deflection significantly. Thus, we found that the maximum reflection is observed for a fully permeable bed; however, it decreases with a decrease in the porosity of the porous medium because of its dissipative nature. Conversely, the added mass and damping coefficient increases with increased membrane length. The collective numerical observations for both diffraction and radiation provide insight into resonance phenomena, the role of membrane properties, and the intricate relationship between wave characteristics and membrane properties. The findings from this study could assist geologists and marine engineers in designing and managing ports and harbor infrastructure.