A numerical and experimental research on solitary wave impacts on a flexible wall

Abstract

Hydroelastic effects play a significant role in the structural response during water wave impacts. This paper investigates three kinds of solitary wave impacts on a flexible wall, specifically slightly-breaking impacts, low-aeration impacts, and high-aeration impacts. To carry out this research, a method combining model experiments and numerical simulations is employed. For the simulations, a two-way coupling method is utilized to capture the intricate fluid-structure interaction that occurs during impacts. This numerical approach can substantially reduce the need for simplification when tackling complex real-world problems, thereby enhancing the precision of the simulations. The experimental and numerical results can reveal some characteristics of wave surface evolution, flow field, impact pressure, and structural response. Notably, the structural deformation curve exhibits a saddle-shaped feature. The envelopes of impact pressure time histories follow similar trends as the structural deflection, but in aeration impacts, the pressures can oscillate at higher frequencies. Vorticity is observed above the wave front and in the trapped air bubbles during the impact, but minimal vorticity in the water. In addition, the analysis of the energy of the structure reveals that the strain energy accounts for a significant proportion of the total energy, while the kinetic energy contributes only a small fraction.