1024

Available online at https://link.springer.com/journal/42241

http://www.jhydrodynamics.com
Journal of Hydrodynamics, 2020, 32(5): 1024-1027
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42241-020-0054-9

On the initial values of kinematic and dynamic free-surface boundary conditions

for water wave problems *

Dong-qiang Lu
Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, School of Mechanics and Engineering Science,
Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072, China
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Shanghai 200072, China
(Received May 28, 2020, Revised July 22, 2020, Accepted July 24, 2020, Published online September 3, 2020)
©China Ship Scientific Research Center 2020
Abstract: The kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions on the free surface of a fluid should be posed for water wave problems.
In the framework of potential theory for an inviscid and incompressible fluid with an irrotational motion, the combined boundary
condition, which involves the velocity potential only, is often used by eliminating the elevation terms mathematically. Such a
combination is correct for the solutions in the frequency domain, and is not feasible for an initial-boundary-value problem in the time
domain since it leads to a totally different physical formulation. The correct initial conditions for pure gravity waves and hydroelastic
waves are presented.

Key words: Initial values, boundary conditions, water wave, hydroelasticity


Water wave problem, an interesting topic in fluid z = (x y) . B(t ) can usually be set as zero by
mechanics, is traditionally studied in the framework of re-defining the potential without affecting the velocity
the irrotational motion in an inviscid, incompressible vector. By introducing
and homogenous fluid. For an incompressible fluid,
the conservation law of mass is represented by t
 =    B ( )d (2)
  u = 0 , where u is the velocity vector. Thus u 0

can be expressed in terms of a potential function

 ( x t ) as u =  under the assumption of an we have
irrotational motion, where x = (x y z ) in the
 
Cartesian coordinates and t the time. Furthermore, =  B(t ) ,
for an inviscid fluid, the conservation law of t t
momentum yields the Euler equation without the
viscosity term as follows  =  = u ,  t =0
=  t =0 .

 1 2 P Therefore,  ( x t ) is used as the velocity potential

+  + e + g = B(t )
t 2  hereinafter. For a moving surface, Eq. (1)
where Pe ( x t ) the total pressure,  the density,
g the gravitational acceleration,  ( z t ) the surface
elevation, B(t ) the Bernoulli constant, and
* Project supported by the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (Grant No. 11872239).
Biography: Dong-qiang Lu (1972-), Male, Ph. D., Professor
Corresponding author: Dong-qiang Lu,
E-mail: dqlu@shu.edu.cn
(1)
reformulated in terms of  is employed as the
dynamic boundary condition on z =  . The
kinematic boundary condition on z =  reads
     
+ + = (3)
t x x y y z
Equation (3) indicates that the fluid particles on the
surface move only tangentially.
Another approach for the boundary conditions is
a combination of Eqs. (1) and (3) by eliminating
 1025

mathematically all the elevation terms with  . One Another involves the initial values of  and  ,
can take the total derivative of Eq. (1) and use Eq. (3) namely Eq. (5), as proposed by Miles (1962, Eq.
to derive (Mei et al., 2005, p. 8, Eq. (1.1.16))[1] (1.6))[3] and Mei et al. (2005, p. 36, Eq. (2.1.43))[1].
With the small-amplitude wave assumption, the
 2 ( )2 1 nonlinear terms in Eqs. (1) and (3) will be omitted.
+ +   ( )2 + Then the linearized dynamic boundary condition reads
t 2 t 2
 Pe
  Pe  + + g = 0 (8)
 +     + g =0 (4) t 
 t  z
For a linear gravity wave problem, these two
Equations (1) and (3) form the complete and approaches in Eqs. (5) and (6) are equivalent if and
original boundary conditions for wave problems. only if 1 =  g 0 + Pe (x y 0 0)/ is satisfied, where
These two equations involve two unknowns  and
Pe (x y 0 0) represents the initial surface pressure on
 . To pose properly the initial value problem with
Eqs. (1) and (3), we should prescribe z = 0 at t = 0 .
For the unsteady waves created by a disturbance
I0 on the surface of a running stream, for example, U e x ,
 = 0 ,  = (5) the main convective effect is taken to linearize Eq. (1)
t =0 t =0

as

where  0 and I 0 are the given initial values.   1 2 Pe

+U + U + + g = 0 (9)
Obviously  0 is the initial profile of the surface, and t x 2 
I 0 physically represents an impulse acting on the
surface at an instant slightly earlier than t = 0+ (Mei where U and e x are a constant and the unit vector
et al., 2005, p. 25)[1]. along the x axis, respectively. For this case, Stoker
When Pe represents the atmospheric pressure, it (1957, p. 210, Eq. (7.4.4))[2] still used Eq. (6) with
can be treated as a constant. Then Eq. (4) is a partial
1 = 0 and 0 = 0 for the undisturbed uniform flow.
differential equation with one unknown  . To pose Stoker's initial condition was regarded by Miles (1962,
properly an initial value problem with Eq. (4), we p. 146)[3] who stated from the physical point of view
have to take that “Stoker (1957) also pose the spurious initial
conditions in his analysis”. The meaningful initial
 I0 conditions for this case should read, for Pe = 0
= 1 ,  = (6)
t t =0
t =0

 0 1 2
1 = = U  U  g 0 (10)
where 1
is a known initial value. The t t =0 x 2
well-posedness of Eq. (6) can also be justified by the
Obviously, one can see from Eq. (10) that the zero
Laplace transform, [] , of the second derivative of
initial values in Eq. (5) (  0 = 0 and 0 = 0 ) do not
 with respect to t as follows
lead to 1 = 0 in Eq. (6). For the initially undistur-
  2   bed state, we should use Eq. (5) with  0 = 0 and
  2  = s 2 [ ]  s   (7)
 t 
t =0
t t =0
0 = 0 , or Eq. (6) with  0 = 0 and 1 = U 2 /2 .
For the example presented in Eq. (9), one can
where s is the complex variable in the Laplace draw the conclusion that zero initial values in Eqs. (5)
transform. The transform is possible if all the required and (6) correspond to two different mathematical
initial values (namely  t =0 and (t ) t =0 ) are problems. Generally speaking, we can prescribe any
initial values mathematically. However for a specified
prescribed. problem with physical significance, there is one
Historically, there have been two approaches choice only. This statement also holds for a nonlinear
available to pose initial conditions for gravity wave problem.
problems. The first one involves the initial values of Let us consider hydroelastic (flexural-gravity)
 and its first time derivative, namely Eq. (6), as waves. The ice cover in the polar region and the very
formulated by Stoker (1957, p. 177, Eq. (6.7.4))[2].
1026

large floating structures in the offshore region are Although Stoker’s formulation was corrected by
usually idealized as thin elastic beams/plates floating Miles in 1962[3], one can still find some recent
on an inviscid incompressible fluid in the theoretical publications which follow Stoker's formulation, for
investigations. It is assumed that there is no gap example, Refs. [4, 9-11]. The author is motivated by
between the fluid and the floating structure. this situation and corrections are made for some
Hydroelastic waves will appear as the flexible previously published articles on transient linear
structure is heavily subjected to incident wave action hydroelastic waves, for which the linearized kinematic
or an external moving load, and the deflection of the and dynamic conditions read, for waves in a uniform
structure is the same as the elevation of fluid surface. current,
For a thin homogeneous elastic plate with a
uniform mass density  e and a constant thickness   
+U = (13)
d , the relationship between a plate deflection  and t x z
the pressure Pe consists on the Euler-Bernoulli
beam/plate theory which can be written as   1   2 
+U +  D 4 + Q 2 + M 2  + g = 0
t x   t 
 2 (14)
Pe = D 4 + Q 2 + M (11)
t 2
On basis of the model presented in Eqs. (13) and
(14), exactly analytical solution of the dispersion
where D = Ed /[12(1   )] , M =  e d ,  Poisson’s
3 2
relation for the hydroelastic waves in a two-layer fluid
ratio and E Young’s modulus of the plate. Q is with a uniform current was explicitly derived by Lu[12].
associated to the lateral stress of the plate (with Considering Eqs. (13) and (14), we have the linearized
compression at Q > 0 and stretch at Q < 0 ). The combined boundary conditions for hydroelastic waves
first, second and third terms in the right-hand side of
2
Eq. (11) are the elastic, compressive and inertial    1 2  
 + U   +  D  4
+ Q  2
+ M + g =0
forces, respectively. Substitution of Eq. (11) into Eq.  t x   t 2
 z
(4) yields the dynamic boundary condition for the
(15)
hydroelastic wave, which indicates the balance
between the hydrodynamic pressure of the fluid and
Waves generated by initial axisymmetric
the resulting forces due to the structural deformation.
disturbances in water with an ice cover were
Equation (11) can be regarded as a general model
considered by Maiti and Mandal[9] who used the
for water wave problems. As Pe is a constant, Eq. (1) combined dynamic boundary condition. Equation (4)
is for pure gravity waves. As D = 0 , Q = T and in Ref. [9] is a special case of Eq. (15) with U = 0
M = 0 for Eq. (11), Eq. (1) is used for the capillary- and Q = 0 . Maiti and Mandal[9] imposed the initial
gravity waves, where T  0 is the coefficient of values (See Eqs. (5) and (6) in Ref. [9]) for
surface tension. As D = 0 , Q = 0 and M > 0 for
Eq. (11), Eq. (1) is for gravity waves on an inertial  M    M  
surface. As D > 0 , Q = 0 and M > 0 , Eq. (1) is  +  ,  +  (16)
  z  t =0 t   z  t =0
conventionally employed for hydroelastic waves. The
model with D > 0 , Q  0 and M > 0 is also As it is,
recently investigated[4-5].
Equation (11) involes the second derivative of  M   I 0 MV0
 with respect to t . So the initial conditions for Eqs.  +  = + (17)
  z  t =0  
(1) and (3) with Eq. (11) should read[6-8]
is not purely the initial impulse as Maiti and Mandal[9]
 I0 expected. The second term of Eq. (16)
 = 0 , = V0 ,  = (12)
t =0
t t =0
t =0

 M   D 4 
V0 is the initial speed of the surface. For a thin elastic  +  =    + g  0 (18)
t   z  t =0  
plate, the inertial effect can be neglected. Under this
assumption, the third term in the right-hand side of Eq.
(11) is eliminated, and the initial conditions still is related to the initial profile.
follow Eq. (5). With the aid of Eq. (15), Mohanty et al.[4] studied

the time-dependent flexural-gravity waves in the
presence of current for a single layer fluid, and they
employed Eq. (6) with 1 = 0 and I 0 = 0 as the
initial conditions for the Green function (See Eq. (25)
in Ref. [4]). Such a treatment leads to spurious
conditions for the physical problem under considera-
tion. These initial conditions were also used by
Mohanty et al.[10] for the time-dependent capillary-
gravity waves in the presence of current, which can be
regarded as a special model of Eq. (15) with D = 0
and M = 0 .
More recently, Mohanty[11] considered the
transient linear hydroelastic waves due to initial
disturbances in a two-layer fluid with a current, in
which the dynamic condition is a special case of Eq.
(15) with M = 0 . The initial conditions (See Eqs.
(12)-(15) in Ref. [11]) follow Eq. (6), which leads to a
pure mathematical problem without physical signi-
ficances. To have correct mathematical formulation
with physical meanings for the flexural- and
capillary-gravity waves, Eqs. (5) and (12) should be
applied for the cases with M = 0 and M  0 ,
respectively.
The initial-boundary-value problems are often
concerned with the wave generation due to an
unsteady moving load or an initial profile/impulse.
The wave-structure interaction problems are usually
solved in the frequency domain by separating the time
with exp(i t ) , where  is the frequency, and thus
a pure boundary-value problem is mathematically
formulated without initial conditions.
We assume the solutions in the frequency domain
take the form of  =  exp(i t ) and  =  exp(i t ) .
Substitution of these forms into Eqs. (13) and (14) and
the combination the resultant equations yields
2 point loads in a current [J]. International Journal of
   1 
 i + U x   +  ( D + Q  M  + g ) z = 0
4 2 2
 
(19)
We can also substitute the time-harmonic forms of
into Eq. (15) directly to deduce the same result as Eq.
(19). In the frequency domain, two separated
equations (Eqs. (13) and (14) and one combined
equation (Eq. (15)) predict the same boundary
condition for the wave problems.
Conclusions of this letter are drawn here. A
combination of the kinematic and dynamic
free-surface boundary conditions for water wave
problems in the time domain may leads to spurious
1027
initial conditions for a real physical concern. The
initial conditions should impose on the terms, which
involve the derivative with respect to the time, in the
original equations for the kinematic and dynamic
boundary conditions before they are mathematically
combined with higher-order derivatives, for example,
Eqs. (5) and (12). For the boundary-value problems in
the frequency domain, the separated and the combined
boundary conditions predict the same results since no
initial conditions are required. The judgement for
surface waves in a single fluid also holds interfacial
waves between two layers of fluid[12-13].
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[3] Miles J. W. Transient gravity wave response to an
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[4] Mohanty S. K., Mondal R., Sahoo T. Time dependent
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