Modelling the finite amplitude dynamics of tidal sand waves with

SWASH EN
GINEERING

1 1,2 3 1 1
T. Van Oyen , T. Suzuki , M. Zijlema , P. Rauwoens and P. Troch
1
Department of Civil Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium.
2
Flanders Hydraulics Research, Antwerp, Belgium. AR
C H IT E C T U R
E

3
Environmental Fluid Mechanics Section, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.
tomas.vanoyen@ugent.be

Sand waves ? Motivation and aim

- These bed forms occur in shallow Motivation Aim

seas (30 m) Employing a stability Analyse of the impact of
analysis, [Blondeaux and non-hydrostatic part of
- Wavelength of O(100) m Vittori, 2011] illustrated the flow field on the fi-
the influence of the non- nite amplitude dynamics
- Amplitude of a few metres hydrostatic pressure com- of sand waves.
ponent on the generation
- Able to migrate of sand waves.

- Perpendicular to the main tidal cur-

rent direction
Results: Impact non-hydrostatic pressure

Coefficient of determination Difference residual hydrostatic − non−hydrostatic −5

x 10
3

Approach 1.2
−0.2
2
1
1
−0.4 0

−1
Hydrodynamics Morphodynamics 0.8
−0.6

z*
−2
R

0.6 −3
−0.8
SWASH [Zijlema et. al, 2011] : - Bottom roughness due to ripples −4
0.4
−1 −5
−6
- OPEN-source, finite difference - Shear stress evaluated with constitu- 0.2
−1.2 −7
tive law 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 −0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
wavelength (m) x*
- Staggered, orthogonal curvilinear grid
- Non-hydrostatic, with pressure cor- - Bed load transport [Van Rijn, 1991]
rection technique
- Bed slope transpost following van den Results: Evolution amplitude
- k − ϵ model Berg et. al [2012]
Evolution amplitude
- Tidal wave imposed with additional -4

force in momentum balance

-6 -4
-5
-6
-8
Depth (m)

-7
177 177.5 178 178.5
-10
Results: Flow field
-12

-14 Numerical model

Linear stab. anal.
−0.1
0.01
Contourplot of the residual horizontal 0 50 100 150 200 250 300
−0.2
flow for a sand wave with amplitude of Time (years)
Depth (m)

−0.3

−0.4
0.005 4 m in a depth H of 20 m and a max-
-15
−0.5 imum depth averaged flow velocity of
0.5 ms−1 . The dimensionless distance
z*

−0.6
0 -100 0 100 200 300 400 500
Initial bed profile (m)
−0.7 in the horizontal direction x∗ and the
vertical direction z ∗ is plotted on the x
−0.005
−0.8

−0.9
−0.01
and z-axes, respectively. - Initial amplification resembles lin. stab. analyses
−1

−0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

- Finite amplitude is characterised by oscillations however.
x*

Discussion and conclusions

• Development of morphodynamic model for the finite-amplitude evolution of
Results: Evolution profile of the bed forms tidal sand waves based on SWASH is presented.

• Finite amplitude dynamics of the bed forms is not yet well resolved.
Evolution bed profile
-4 • Non-hydrostatic component of the flow field impacts particularly bed forms
Initial with small wavelengths, in accordance with results presented by Blondeaux
-6 110 years and Vittori [2011].
150 years
-8 173 years • Impact of bottom boundary condition!
176 years
Depth (m)

-10

-12 References
-14 Blondeaux P. and Vittori G. 2011 The formation of tidal sand waves: Fully three-
dimensional versus shallow water approaches. Cont. Shelf Res. 31, 990 - 996
-16
Zijlema M., Stelling G. and Smit P. 2011 SWASH: An operational public code for simu-
-18 lating wave fields and rapidly varied flows in coastal waters. Coastal Engng. 58, 992-1012
Van Rijn L., 1991 Sediment transport in combined waves and currents. Proc. of Eu-
-20 romech 262
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
van den Berg J. and van Damme R. 2007 Sand wave simulation on large domains. Proc.
of RCEM conference
A flattening of the troughs and a sharpening of the wave crests is found similar van den Berg J., Sterlini F., Hulscher S.J.M.H. and van Damme R. 2012 Non-linear
to the results of van den Berg and van Damme [2007]. process based modelling of offshore sand waves. Cont. Shelf Res. 37