Hydrodynamic conditions in a submerged porous breakwater

In the present work the applicability of an extended Boussinesq-type model in simulating wave propagation over submerged porous breakwaters, as well as predicting the velocity distribution inside them was studied. The basic solver is able to reproduce wave propagation in practically any water depth over mild sloping bottom. Extension of this model is presented here to cover porous structures and predict wave kinematics in the interior of a permeable rubble mound covering 2DH configurations. Laboratory experiments were undertaken in the Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Patras. Tests with a physical model were performed in order to measure the 2DH free surface elevation and 3D flow velocity in the interior of a porous submerged breakwater under regular and irregular, breaking and non-breaking, short or longer wave attack. The numerical results when compared with test data showed that adequate agreement was achieved in most cases.