Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Ocean Engineering
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/oceaneng

Hydroelastic analysis of a coupled porous structure in finite water depth

Uma Vinod Kumar a , Sunanda Saha b ,∗, Swaroop Nandan Bora c
a
Department of Mathematics, Dayananda Sagar University, Bangalore, 560114, Karnataka, India
b
Department of Mathematics, School of Advanced Sciences, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
c
Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Keywords: Scattering of oblique waves by a system consisting of a thin floating porous-elastic plate and a rectangular
Floating plate submerged porous structure is investigated. The plate is modeled by combining the thin plate theory and a
Submerged porous structure complex porous-effect parameter, and the Sollitt and Cross model is used for flow through the submerged
Eigenfunction expansion
porous structure. A matched eigenfunction method is employed and roots of dispersion relations associated
Reflection and transmission coefficients
with the system and its components are investigated using contour plots. Scattering coefficients are evaluated
Wave forces
and analyzed for various wave and structure parameters and the influence of each component on wave forces
acting on the other is examined. The study reveals that plate porosity, along with variation in height and
width of the system have a significant impact on scattering and mitigation of wave forces. A phenomenon of
reversal in pattern of reflection coefficients with respect to incident angle for varying heights of the submerged
structure is observed. A comparative analysis highlights the key features of scattering and energy dissipation
by plate, rubblemound and coupled structure. The results of this study can be used for designing a composite
breakwater or to analyze the performance of a floating breakwater in the presence of inhomogeneous bottom
topography.

1. Introduction principle of equivalent work, along with an inertial coefficient. Dalrym-

Breakwater-wave mechanics is an important area of research in
coastal and ocean engineering due to the need for protecting onshore
and offshore marine facilities from wave impact and for preventing
beach erosion. Rubble mound structures, horizontal, vertical or inclined
plates as well as composite structures of different configurations have
been employed extensively as breakwaters. Threat to coastlines and ma-
rine installations has intensified in recent times due to rising sea levels
brought on by climate change and increased human activity (Esteban
et al., 2015; Kulp and Strauss, 2019) and there is a growing demand
for more effective and environment friendly wave-attenuating devices.
It has been found that structural porosity causes energy dissipation,
thereby reducing wave transmission, and hence research interest in
porous structures has continued unabated despite the complexity of
modeling a porous flow.
Work on interaction of waves with porous structures was pioneered
by Sollitt and Cross (1972) who proposed a classical mathematical
model that takes into account structural as well as medium properties
for describing damped wave motion within a rectangular submerged
porous breakwater, and enables matching of eigenfunctions on fluid–
structure interfaces. This model is characterized by a linearized friction
coefficient which is calculated by an iterative procedure using Lorentz
ple et al. (1991) extended this theory to oblique incident waves and
noted that the hydrodynamic scattering coefficients are significantly
altered from the case of normal incidence. Studies by Losada et al.
(1996) focused on the hydrodynamics induced by obliquely incident
wave trains within and outside a submerged partial porous structure.
An overview of the theory of wave interaction with porous structures
can be found in Chwang and Chan (1998). Mendez and Losada (2004)
used a perturbation method to locate the roots of the complex disper-
sion relation in dissipative media. Das and Bora (2014) investigated
the problem of wave damping by a vertical permeable structure with
a rigid wall positioned near and away (two cases) from the structure.
The problem of fully extended and partial porous structures in two-
layer fluids was considered by Behera and Sahoo (2014) and Behera
et al. (2015), respectively, wherein scattering coefficients and wave
forces on the structure were analyzed. An orthogonal inner product for
eigenfunctions associated with a bottom-standing rectangular porous
barrier was developed by Meng and Lu (2016). Wave interaction with
a porous submerged breakwater in the presence of a wall was consid-
ered by Zhao et al. (2017), using a condition for partially reflecting
boundary at the wall. They obtained the analytical solution by using
eigenfunction expansions, and then the perturbation method of Mendez

∗ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: umavinodkumar.res-soe-mathematics@dsu.edu.in (U.V. Kumar), sunanda.saha@vit.ac.in (S. Saha), swaroop@iitg.ac.in (S.N. Bora).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2021.110491
Received 27 August 2021; Received in revised form 23 November 2021; Accepted 28 December 2021
Available online 21 January 2022
0029-8018/© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
U.V. Kumar et al.
and Losada (2004) to locate the complex wavenumbers. They also pre-
sented the solution based on a multi-domain boundary element method
which does not require the wavenumbers in the porous regions. Khan
and Behera (2019) concluded that multiple bottom-founded porous
structures with optimal spacing between them would be more effective
than a single one composed of the same quantity of material.
The problem of water wave scattering by floating flexible plates
was considered initially in the context of ice sheets on the surface of
oceans, and the floating elastic plate model is being widely used in
the study of the hydroelastic response of very large floating structures
(VLFS). An eigenfunction matching technique was used by Fox and
Squire (1990) to analyze the problem of a semi-infinite floating elastic
sheet and it was observed that the modes in the ice-covered region
were not orthogonal. Sahoo et al. (2001) modified the standard inner
product so that the original eigenfunctions became orthogonal. Xu and
Lu (2009) revisited the problem considered by Sahoo et al. (2001) by
using the conventional inner product in the free-surface region, and
demonstrated that this approach ensured a faster rate of convergence.
In their study on problems related to a floating elastic plate, (Maiti
and Mandal, 2014; Behera et al., 2018a) considered the sea-bed to be
porous and formulated the bed condition by using a known porous-
effect parameter with dimension (𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ)−1 . This approach did not take
into account the flow within the porous medium. The same approach
for modeling the sea-bed was also adopted by Chanda and Bora (2020)
in their analysis of wave scattering by a pair of submerged vertical
porous plates.
While the Sollitt and Cross model is typically used to study flow
past wide porous structures, the dimensionless complex porous-effect
parameter defined by Yu (1995) serves as a tool to model the fluid
motion across porous plates. Li et al. (2006) developed a method to
estimate the porous-effect parameter by comparing predicted and ex-
perimental values. Hydroelasticity of porous plates is a relatively recent
area of enquiry and the sea-bed is assumed to be rigid and uniform
in all available studies. A study on scattering and trapping of water
waves by a submerged flexible porous plate was carried out by Behera
and Sahoo (2015). Meylan et al. (2017) combined boundary and finite
element methods to solve the problem of floating flexible porous plate
of arbitrary geometry and dealt with the special case of a circular plate
by the method of matched eigenfunctions, while (Zheng et al., 2020)
examined scattering by circular, elliptical and cosine shaped floating
plates with different edge conditions. Koley et al. (2018) analyzed
wave action on a flexible porous floating plate using Fredholm integral
equations. Koley and Sahoo (2018) proposed an integro-differential
equation approach for the same problem. A comprehensive overview
of the design of various types of floating breakwaters, their efficiency
and a summary of recent research is presented in Dai et al. (2018). A
study on hydroelastic response of a VLFS in the presence of submerged
porous plate was carried out by Behera et al. (2018b) who concluded
that the structural vibration of the VLFS could be mitigated by the
porous plate. Singla et al. (2019) substituted the submerged plate with a
floating porous one kept at a certain distance from the VLFS and found
that a substantial amount of wave attenuation could be achieved by a
suitable choice of porosity, length and location of the porous plate.
Problems on wave scattering by submerged porous breakwaters as
well as floating and submerged plates have been investigated by many
researchers using analytical, numerical and experimental methods. A
few studies on coupled systems consisting of plate and submerged
structure are also available in the literature. Hsu and Wu (1998)
applied a boundary element method for a dual system comprising of a
submerged rubble mound and submerged rigid, impermeable plate. Liu
and Li (2013) evaluated the performance of a similar system with
the plate considered as porous, by splitting the velocity potential into
symmetric and anti-symmetric parts. Although their approach avoided
the complexity of solving the dispersion equation, convergence of the
series was achieved for a rather large truncation value of 𝑁 = 40.
Recently, a boundary element method has been employed by Vijay
2
Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491
Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of a flexible porous plate coupled with a submerged
rectangular porous structure.
et al. (2021) to examine the effect of an array of submerged porous
structures of different geometries on the hydrodynamics of a floating
dock modeled as a rigid and impermeable boundary.
The present study examines the interaction of oblique water waves
with a coupled system that combines a floating plate that is both
porous and flexible, with a bottom-standing rectangular porous barrier.
The objective of the investigation is to examine the nature of wave
scattering by the composite structure as well as the effect of presence of
each of its two components on the hydrodynamic response of the other.
To this end, we set up a boundary value problem for the coupled system
(Section 2) and attempt a solution based on an eigenfunction matching
method, the details of which are given in Section 3. In Section 4, we
outline the procedure for solving the dispersion equations and analyze
the nature of the roots for various components of the coupled system.
The numerical results of the study are presented in Section 5 and
this includes an analysis of scattering coefficients, forces acting on
the structure and a comparison of the performance of three different
porous structures, viz., flexible floating porous plate, rubble mound and
composite system. The salient features and key findings of this study are
summarized in Section 6. A semi-analytic study of such a dual system
that takes into account elasticity as well as porosity of the plate is not
available in the literature to the best of the authors’ knowledge.
2. Mathematical formulation
A three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system is chosen, with
the 𝑥𝑦-plane representing the still water surface and the positive 𝑧-
axis directed vertically upwards. Sea water is considered as an inviscid
and incompressible fluid undergoing an irrotational motion, and the
amplitude of wave and structure response are assumed to be small
enough for linear theory to be applicable. The angle made by obliquely
incident waves with the 𝑥-axis is denoted by 𝜃, time by 𝑡, and the
angular frequency for time-harmonic motion by 𝜔.
The composite system under consideration consists of a rectangular
porous structure of height 𝑎 and width 𝑏 located in sea of finite depth ℎ,
and a thin flexible porous plate of width 𝑏 floating on the mean surface
𝑧 = 0. The plate occupies the region 0 < 𝑥 < 𝑏, −∞ < 𝑦 < ∞, 𝑧 = 0.
The four fluid domains as in Fig. 1 which extend infinitely in the 𝑦-
direction are: the open-water domains ⃝ 1 and ⃝ 4 on the windward and
leeward side of the barrier, given by −∞ < 𝑥 < 0, −ℎ < 𝑧 < 0, and
𝑏 < 𝑥 < ∞, −ℎ < 𝑧 < 0, respectively; the plate-covered region 0 < 𝑥 < 𝑏,
−ℎ + 𝑎 < 𝑧 < 0 above the porous structure, denoted by ⃝, 2 and the
fluid region 0 < 𝑥 < 𝑏, −ℎ < 𝑧 < −ℎ + 𝑎, within the submerged porous
structure ⃝.
3
Fluid motion in the domains ⃝, 1 ⃝,
2 ⃝ 3 and ⃝ 4 are described by the
velocity potentials 𝛷𝑗 (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧, 𝑡) = Re{𝜙𝑗 (𝑥, 𝑧) 𝑒−i(𝑘𝑦 𝑦−𝜔𝑡) }, 𝑗 = 1, 2, 3, 4,
respectively, where 𝑘𝑦 is the wavenumber in the 𝑦-direction which is
U.V. Kumar et al. Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491

expressed in terms of the incident wavenumber 𝑘0 as 𝑘𝑦 = 𝑘0 sin 𝜃. The are obtained. For a plate with simply supported edges, plate deflection
spatial velocity potentials 𝜙𝑗 satisfy the modified Helmholtz equation and restraining moment at the edges vanish, yielding
( 2 ) ( 2 )
𝜕 𝜕2 𝜕
− 𝜈𝑘2𝑦 𝜂 = 0
+ − 𝑘2𝑦 𝜙𝑗 = 0, 𝑗 = 1, 2, 3, 4 (1) 𝜂 = 0,
2
at 𝑥 = 0, 𝑏 (14)
𝜕𝑥2 𝜕𝑧2 𝜕𝑥
in the interior of the respective fluid regions. and if the edges are assumed to be free, the vanishing of bending
The free surface boundary condition can be written as moment and shear force at the edges yield
( 2 ) ( 2 )
𝜕𝜙𝑗 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
− 𝐾𝜙𝑗 = 0 on 𝑧 = 0, 𝑗 = 1, 4 (2) − 𝜈𝑘2𝑦 𝜂 = 0, − (2 − 𝜈)𝑘2𝑦 𝜂 = 0 at 𝑥 = 0, 𝑏. (15)
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥2 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥2
where 𝐾 = 𝜔2 ∕𝑔, with 𝑔 as the gravitational constant, and the condition Finally, the radiation conditions to be satisfied at the far-field are given
on the impermeable bed is by
𝜕𝜙𝑗 i𝑔 −i𝑞0 𝑥
=0 on 𝑧 = −ℎ, 𝑗 = 1, 3, 4. (3) 𝜙1 (𝑥, 𝑧) → (𝑒 + 𝑅0 𝑒i𝑞0 𝑥 )𝐼(𝑘0 , 𝑧) as 𝑥 → −∞, (16)
𝜕𝑧 𝜔
i𝑔
The vertical plate deflection is of the form 𝜁(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑡) = Re{𝜂(𝑥) 𝑒−i(𝑘𝑦 𝑦−𝜔𝑡) } 𝜙4 (𝑥, 𝑧) → 𝑇0 𝑒−i𝑞0 (𝑥−𝑏) 𝐼(𝑘0 , 𝑧) as 𝑥 → ∞, (17)
where 𝜂(𝑥) is the complex amplitude. The plate boundary condition 𝜔
is derived by following the method of Koley et al. (2018), using the where 𝐼(𝑘0 , 𝑧) is the vertical eigenfunction associated with the incident
dynamic conditions obtained from Bernoulli’s equation and the thin- wavenumber 𝑘0 which is the real root of the open-water dispersion
plate equation, together with the kinematic condition for a permeable equation, 𝑅0 and 𝑇0 are unknown coefficients, associated, respectively,
floating plate. These are, respectively, given by with
√ the amplitudes of reflected and transmitted waves, and 𝑞0 =
𝜕𝜁 𝑘20 − 𝑘2𝑦 . The amplitude of the incident wave is assumed to be unity
(𝐿∇4𝑥,𝑦 + 𝜌𝑔 − 𝜌𝑝 𝑑𝜔2 ) − 𝜌𝜔2 𝛷2 = 0, (4) in this study.
𝜕𝑡
and Having set up the boundary conditions for the problem, we attempt
𝜕𝛷2 a semi-analytical solution, combining eigenfunction matching across
𝜕𝜁
= − i𝑘0 𝐺𝛷2 on 𝑧 = 0, (5) domain interfaces with numerical techniques for the solution of the
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
problem.
and they yield the condition
( )
𝜕𝜙2 3. Method of solution
(𝐿∇4𝑥,𝑦 + 𝜌𝑔 − 𝜌𝑝 𝑑𝜔2 ) + i𝑘0 𝐺𝜙2 − 𝜌𝜔2 𝜙2 = 0 on 𝑧 = 0. (6)
𝜕𝑧
𝜕 4 2
𝜕 𝜕 2 𝜕 4 This section details the method of matched eigenfunctions for the
In the above set of equations, ∇4𝑥,𝑦 = 𝜕𝑥 4 + 2 𝜕𝑥2 𝜕𝑦2 + 𝜕𝑦4 , 𝐿 is the
3 2
problem under consideration. The dispersion equation for the barrier
flexural rigidity of the plate given by 𝐿 = 𝐸𝑑 ∕[12(1 − 𝜈 )]; 𝐸 and 𝜈, region is derived, and a system of equations is set up from which the
respectively, denote Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio for plate; 𝑑 is
scattering coefficients are to be computed.
the very small thickness of the plate and 𝜌 and 𝜌𝑝 denote the density
The general solution of the boundary value problem that satisfies
of water and plate material, respectively. Further, 𝐺 is the complex
Eq. (1) together with boundary conditions (2), (3) and (7)–(12) is
porous-effect parameter defined by Yu (1995) in terms of porosity of
obtained by separating the variables, and subsequently, the spatial
the plate, friction and inertia effects of the granular medium, the plate
velocity potentials in the four domains are of the form:
width, and the incident wavenumber. A brief description of 𝐺 is given
i𝑔 [ −i𝑞0 𝑥 ∑ ]
∞
as an Appendix in Koley et al. (2018).
𝐿 𝜌 𝑑 𝜙1 = 𝑒 𝐼(𝑘0 , 𝑧) + 𝑅𝑛 𝑒i𝑞𝑛 𝑥 𝐼(𝑘𝑛 , 𝑧) , (18)
Setting 𝜌𝑔 = 𝐷 and 𝑝𝜌 = 𝜅, we obtain 𝜔 𝑛=0
( )
i𝑔 ∑
∞
𝜕𝜙2
(𝐷∇4𝑥,𝑦 − 𝜅𝐾 + 1) + i𝑘0 𝐺𝜙2 − 𝐾𝜙2 = 0 on 𝑧 = 0. (7) 𝜙2 = (𝐴 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑥 + 𝐵𝑛 𝑒i𝑄𝑛 (𝑥−𝑏) )𝑀(𝑝𝑛 , 𝑧), (19)
𝜕𝑧 𝜔 𝑛=−2 𝑛
i𝑔 ∑
∞
The conditions on the boundary of the rectangular porous structure are
obtained by using the properties of continuity of pressure and velocity 𝜙3 = (𝐴 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑥 + 𝐵𝑛 𝑒i𝑄𝑛 (𝑥−𝑏) )𝑃 (𝑝𝑛 , 𝑧), (20)
𝜔 𝑛=−2 𝑛
across the interfaces at 𝑥 = 0, 𝑥 = 𝑏 and 𝑧 = −ℎ + 𝑎 as in Losada et al.
i𝑔 ∑
∞
(1996). 𝜙4 = 𝑇 𝑒−i𝑞𝑛 (𝑥−𝑏) 𝐼(𝑘𝑛 , 𝑧), (21)
𝜔 𝑛=0 𝑛
𝜕𝜙1 𝜕𝜙2
𝜙1 = 𝜙2 and = at 𝑥 = 0, −ℎ + 𝑎 < 𝑧 < 0, (8)
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 where 𝑅𝑛 , 𝐴𝑛 , 𝐵𝑛 , 𝑇𝑛 for 𝑛 =√0, 1, 2, …, are the unknown
√ coefficients in
𝜕𝜙1 𝜕𝜙 the series expansion, 𝑞𝑛 = 𝑘2𝑛 − 𝑘2𝑦 , and 𝑄𝑛 = 𝑝2𝑛 − 𝑘2𝑦 . The vertical
𝜙1 = (𝑠 − i𝑓 )𝜙3 and = 𝜖 3 at 𝑥 = 0, −ℎ < 𝑧 < −ℎ + 𝑎, (9)
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 eigenfunctions 𝐼(𝑘𝑛 , 𝑧), 𝑀(𝑝𝑛 , 𝑧) and 𝑃 (𝑝𝑛 , 𝑧) are given by
𝜕𝜙2 𝜕𝜙4
𝜙2 = 𝜙4 and = at 𝑥 = 𝑏, −ℎ + 𝑎 < 𝑧 < 0, (10) cosh 𝑘𝑛 (𝑧 + ℎ)
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝐼(𝑘𝑛 , 𝑧) = , 𝑛 = 0, 1, 2, … , (22)
𝜕𝜙 𝜕𝜙4 cosh 𝑘𝑛 ℎ
(𝑠 − i𝑓 )𝜙3 = 𝜙4 and 𝜖 3 = at 𝑥 = 𝑏, −ℎ < 𝑧 < −ℎ + 𝑎, (11)
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 cosh 𝑝𝑛 (𝑧 + ℎ) − 𝐿𝑛 sinh 𝑝𝑛 (𝑧 + ℎ)
𝜕𝜙2 𝜕𝜙 𝑀(𝑝𝑛 , 𝑧) = , 𝑛 = −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, … , (23)
𝜙2 = (𝑠 − i𝑓 )𝜙3 and = 𝜖 3 at 0 < 𝑥 < 𝑏, 𝑧 = −ℎ + 𝑎. (12) cosh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ − 𝐿𝑛 sinh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 [ ]
1 − 𝐿𝑛 tanh 𝑝𝑛 𝑎 cosh 𝑝𝑛 (𝑧 + ℎ)
In these equations, 𝜖, 𝑠 and 𝑓 are, respectively, the porosity, inertial 𝑃 (𝑝𝑛 , 𝑧) = ,
(𝑠 − i𝑓 ) cosh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ − 𝐿𝑛 sinh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ
coefficient and frictional coefficient of the material of the submerged
𝑛 = −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, … , (24)
structure. ( )
In addition to the above, a suitable pair of equations is chosen from 𝜖
1− 𝑠−i𝑓
tanh 𝑝𝑛 𝑎
those described as follows, depending on the support conditions at the where 𝐿𝑛 = .
𝜖
plate edges (Sahoo, 2012). Assuming that both ends of the floating plate 1− 𝑠−i𝑓
tanh2 𝑝𝑛 𝑎
are clamped so that the plate deflection and its slope vanish, the edge
conditions The potentials (18)–(21) also satisfy the radiation conditions (16) and
(17). As pointed out by Losada et al. (1996), if 𝜖 = 0 and 𝑓 = 0, the
𝜕𝜂
𝜂 = 0, =0 at 𝑥 = 0, 𝑏 (13) porous structure may be regarded as an impermeable step of height 𝑎.
𝜕𝑥

3
U.V. Kumar et al. Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491

The wavenumbers 𝑘𝑛 in the open-water regions ⃝and

1 ⃝
4 satisfy the Table 1
dispersion relation Physical parameters data.
Parameters Values Parameters Values
𝐾 = 𝑘𝑛 tanh 𝑘𝑛 ℎ (25) ℎ 10 m 𝐷∕ℎ4 0.007
𝑔 9.81 m∕s 𝜅∕ℎ 0.008
which has one positive real root which represents the most progressive
𝑇 8 s 𝜈 0.3
mode, and a countably infinite set of purely imaginary roots which 𝜃 30𝑜 𝐺 0.15 + 0.15i
correspond to the evanescent modes. The dispersion relation for the 𝑏∕ℎ 1 𝑎∕ℎ 0.3
eigenvalues 𝑝𝑛 in the plate covered region is derived as 𝜖 0.4 𝑠 1
𝑓 0.5
𝐾 − (𝐷𝑝4𝑛 − 𝜅𝐾 + 1)[𝑝𝑛 tanh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ + i𝑘0 𝐺]
= 𝐿𝑛 {𝐾 tanh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ − (𝐷𝑝4𝑛 − 𝜅𝐾 + 1)[𝑝𝑛 + i𝑘0 𝐺 tanh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ]}. (26)
It is to be noted that the dispersion relation for the ice-covered The infinite series in (28)–(31) and (34)–(37) are truncated at 𝑛 = 𝑁
sea can be retrieved from Eq. (26) by setting 𝑎 = 0 so that 𝐿𝑛 so that the system of 4𝑁 + 8 equations completely determines the
vanishes, and 𝐺 = 0. As observed by Fox and Squire (1990), this 2(𝑁 + 1) unknowns 𝑅𝑚 and 𝑇𝑚 , (𝑚 = 0, 1, … , 𝑁) and the 2(𝑁 + 3)
equation has, in addition to two real roots and an infinite number of unknowns 𝐴𝑛 and 𝐵𝑛 , (𝑛 = −2, −1, 0, … , 𝑁)
imaginary roots, four complex roots of the form ±(𝛼 + i𝛽)). Further, To solve the above system of equations, it is required to find the
the dispersion relation for idealized rubble mound as in Losada et al. roots of Eqs. (25) and (26). The technique adopted for root-finding and
(1996) is obtained by setting 𝐷 = 0, 𝜅 = 0 and 𝐺 = 0 in Eq. (26). an in-depth analysis of the nature of these roots are presented in the
The eigenfunctions in the barrier region are not orthogonal because following section.
of the fifth order conditions that are to be satisfied at the plate bound-
ary. Further, it has been recorded in the literature (e.g., Xu and Lu, 4. Roots of the dispersion relations
2009) that the eigenfunctions 𝐼(𝑘𝑛 , 𝑧) are orthogonal and satisfy the
relation Locating the roots of dispersion equations associated with porous
0 structures is a challenging task as the equation itself involves complex
𝐼(𝑘𝑛 , 𝑧)𝐼(𝑘𝑚 , 𝑧)𝑑𝑧 = 𝑋𝑚𝑚 𝛿𝑚𝑛 , 𝑚, 𝑛 = 0, 1, 2, … , (27) terms and all of its roots are complex as well. The procedure for locating
∫−ℎ
these roots is outlined in this section. We also present contour plots
2𝑘𝑚 ℎ + sinh 2𝑘𝑚 ℎ
where 𝑋𝑚𝑚 = and 𝛿𝑚𝑛 is the Kronecker delta. of the wavenumbers associated with the breakwater regions for (i)
4𝑘𝑚 cosh2 𝑘𝑚 ℎ impermeable flexible plate, (ii) flexible porous plate, (iii) submerged
Matching the boundary conditions along 𝑥 = 0 and 𝑥 = 𝑏 (Eqs. (8)–
rubble mound, and (iv) composite structure (Figs. 2 and 3). A trial
(11)), multiplying each of the resulting equations by 𝐼(𝑘𝑛 , 𝑧), integrat-
version of Mathematica has been utilized to generate the contour plots
ing over the whole depth and using the orthogonality of 𝐼(𝑘𝑛 , 𝑧), we
which provide initial guess for root finding and also enable visual-
obtain the following system of 4𝑁 + 4 equations by restricting 𝑚 =
ization of the distribution of the wavenumbers. MATLAB codes have
0, 1, 2, … , 𝑁:
been developed to locate a sufficient number of modes so as to ensure
∑∞ [ ]
a satisfactory degree of accuracy of computed values. The computed
𝑋𝑚𝑚 𝑅𝑚 − (𝑌𝑚𝑛 + (𝑠 − i𝑓 )𝑍𝑚𝑛 )(𝐴𝑛 + 𝐵𝑛 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑏 ) = −𝛿𝑚 𝑋0𝑚 , (28)
𝑛=−2
values of wavenumbers in the free surface and barrier regions are listed
[ ] in Table 2 along with the wavenumbers associated with rubble mound
∑∞
𝑞𝑚 𝑋𝑚𝑚 𝑅𝑚 − 𝑄𝑛 (𝑌𝑚𝑛 + 𝜖𝑍𝑚𝑛 )(−𝐴𝑛 + 𝐵𝑛 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑏 ) = 𝛿𝑚 𝑞0 𝑋0𝑚 , (29) and impermeable plate.
𝑛=−2 The technique detailed in Fox and Squire (1990) has been adopted
[ ]
∑
∞
for root finding. For the open water dispersion Eq. (25), one positive
𝑋𝑚𝑚 𝑇𝑚 − (𝑌𝑚𝑛 + (𝑠 − i𝑓 )𝑍𝑚𝑛 )(𝐴𝑛 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑏 + 𝐵𝑛 ) = 0, (30) real root 𝑘0 which corresponds to the most progressive mode, and N
𝑛=−2
[ ] imaginary roots 𝑘𝑛 , 𝑛 = 1, 2, … , 𝑁 such that (𝑛 − 1)𝜋∕ℎ < 𝑘𝑛 < 𝑛𝜋∕ℎ
∑∞
𝑞𝑚 𝑋𝑚𝑚 𝑇𝑚 + 𝑄𝑛 (𝑌𝑚𝑛 + 𝜖𝑍𝑚𝑛 )(−𝐴𝑛 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑏 + 𝐵𝑛 ) = 0, (31) which correspond to evanescent modes are considered for solution of
𝑛=−2 the system of equations set up in Section 3. The wavenumbers in the
where barrier region are related to the roots of the dispersion relation for ice-
0 covered sea. In addition to a positive real root and an infinite number
𝑌𝑚𝑛 = 𝑀(𝑝𝑛 , 𝑧) 𝐼(𝑘𝑚 , 𝑧) 𝑑𝑧, (32) of purely imaginary roots in the upper half plane that are physically
∫−ℎ+𝑎
significant, two complex roots of the form ±𝛼 + i𝛽, which correspond
−ℎ+𝑎
𝑍𝑚𝑛 = 𝑃 (𝑝𝑛 , 𝑧) 𝐼(𝑘𝑚 , 𝑧) 𝑑𝑧, (33) to standing modes are also to be considered for a complete solution of
∫−ℎ the system of equations. With the introduction of plate porosity, the
{
1, 𝑚 = 0, location of all of these roots is perturbed and there are no roots that
and 𝛿𝑚 = are purely real or purely imaginary. Similar observations have been
0, 𝑚 > 0.
recorded by Behera and Sahoo (2015).
In addition to the above, the following four equations are obtained
The roots of the dispersion relation in the free surface region serve
from the edge conditions (13), assuming that the plate has fixed edges:
as initial approximations for complex roots 𝑝𝑛 , 𝑛 = 0, 1, 2, … , 𝑁 of
∑
∞
the corresponding equation in the barrier region (Eq. (26)) and the
(𝐴𝑛 + 𝐵𝑛 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑏 )𝜇𝑛 = 0, (34)
𝑛=−2
roots 𝑝−2 and 𝑝−1 which are in close proximity to roots of the form
∑
∞ ±𝛼 + i𝛽 are located with the aid of the contour plots. The open source
𝑄𝑛 (−𝐴𝑛 + 𝐵𝑛 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑏 )𝜇𝑛 = 0, (35) MATLAB codes CXROOT and LMFNLSQ, which have been adopted for
𝑛=−2 root finding, use a technique of minimization of sum of squares of
∑
∞
equation residuals to separately approximate the real and imaginary
(𝐴𝑛 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑏 + 𝐵𝑛 )𝜇𝑛 = 0, (36)
parts of the complex root through an iterative procedure, starting with
𝑛=−2
the initial guess. It is assumed in this study that the roots of the
∑
∞
𝑄𝑛 (−𝐴𝑛 𝑒−i𝑄𝑛 𝑏 + 𝐵𝑛 )𝜇𝑛 = 0, (37) dispersion relation (26) are distinct.
𝑛=−2 It is observed from Table 2 that the dispersion relation for the
𝑝𝑛 [sinh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ − 𝐹𝑛 cosh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ] composite porous structure yields the same number of roots as that
where 𝜇𝑛 = + i𝑘𝑜 𝐺. for the plate. However, the imaginary roots acquire negative real parts
cosh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ − 𝐹𝑛 sinh 𝑝𝑛 ℎ

4
U.V. Kumar et al. Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491

Table 2
Roots of dispersion relations associated with different types of structures with 𝐷∕ℎ4 = 0.004, 𝐺 = 0.5 + 0.5i for porous plate, and other parameters
as in Table 1.
𝑛 𝑘𝑛 ℎ 𝑝𝑛 ℎ
Free surface Impermeable elastic plate Flexible porous plate Rubble mound Composite structure
−2 – −2.6379 + 2.8213i −2.6023 + 2.8295i – −2.6084 + 2.8255i
−1 – 2.6379 + 2.8213i 2.6481 + 2.8482i – 2.6480 + 2.8434i
0 0.8862 0.8876 1.2562 − 0.3605i 0.9702 − 0.0236i 1.3562 − 0.3894i
1 2.9302i 2.9822i −0.1688 + 2.8175i 0.2171 + 3.4684i 0.0928 + 3.4003i
2 6.1818i 6.2692i −0.0727 + 6.1976i −0.1450 + 5.8691i −0.2036 + 5.8702i
3 9.3577i 9.4227i −0.0475 + 9.3756i −0.0860 + 9.0854i −0.1443 + 9.1120i
4 12.5162i 12.5659i −0.0354 + 12.5306i 0.1572 + 12.9613i 0.1191 + 12.9793i
5 15.6679i 15.7078i −0.0283 + 15.6796i 0.0067 + 15.6821i −0.0135 + 15.6849i

Fig. 2. Contour plots of non-dimensional wavenumbers 𝑝𝑛 ℎ for (a) 𝐺 = 0 and 𝑎∕ℎ = 0 (impermeable elastic plate) (b) 𝐺 = 0.5 + 0.5i and 𝑎∕ℎ = 0 (porous elastic plate) with
𝐷∕ℎ4 = 0.004, and all other parameters as in Table 1.

Fig. 3. Contour plots of non-dimensional wavenumbers 𝑝𝑛 ℎ for (a) 𝐺 = 0, 𝑎∕ℎ = 0.3, 𝐷 = 0 and 𝜅 = 0 (rubble mound) (b) 𝐺 = 0.5 + 0.5i, 𝑎∕ℎ = 0.3, 𝐷∕ℎ4 = 0.004 (composite
structure), and other parameters as in Table 1.

in the case of porous plate whereas the perturbation may be to either
side of the imaginary axis in the case of rubble mound as well as the
composite structure.
The computed values of 𝑘𝑛 and 𝑝𝑛 are substituted in the system of
equations which is subsequently solved for the scattering coefficients. A
detailed analysis of the numerical results is presented in the following
section.
5. Numerical results and discussion
In this section, the findings of the present study are validated by
comparison with an established result available in the literature, and
convergence of reflection and transmission coefficients is examined.
Further, scattering coefficients and hydrodynamic forces are computed
and analyzed to evaluate the performance of the coupled system and
the influence of each of its individual components. A comparative study
of the performance of three different porous breakwaters is also carried

5
U.V. Kumar et al. Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491

Table 3
Convergence of 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 for different 𝑎∕ℎ and 𝑏∕ℎ with 𝐺 = 0.25 + 0.25i, 𝐷∕ℎ4 = 0.005 and other parameters as in Table 1.
𝑎∕ℎ 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
𝐾𝑟 𝐾𝑡 𝐾𝑟 𝐾𝑡 𝐾𝑟 𝐾𝑡 𝐾𝑟 𝐾𝑡
𝑁 =0 0.2768 0.7784 0.2815 0.7500 0.2932 0.7008 0.3165 0.6016
𝑁 =3 0.2661 0.7778 0.2772 0.7389 0.2903 0.6818 0.3051 0.5940
𝑏∕ℎ = 1 𝑁 =5 0.2663 0.7776 0.2773 0.7385 0.2903 0.6814 0.3055 0.5937
𝑁 =8 0.2664 0.7774 0.2773 0.7383 0.2903 0.6812 0.3057 0.5934
𝑁 = 10 0.2664 0.7774 0.2773 0.7382 0.2903 0.6812 0.3056 0.5934
𝑁 =0 0.2777 0.3294 0.2712 0.2825 0.2761 0.2093 0.2965 0.1000
𝑁 =3 0.2657 0.3293 0.2578 0.2783 0.2586 0.2030 0.2658 0.0972
𝑏∕ℎ = 5 𝑁 =5 0.2657 0.3292 0.2578 0.2782 0.2587 0.2029 0.2660 0.0971
𝑁 =8 0.2657 0.3292 0.2579 0.2781 0.2588 0.2028 0.2661 0.0971
𝑁 = 10 0.2657 0.3292 0.2579 0.2781 0.2588 0.2028 0.2661 0.0971

are also investigated. Further, a comparative analysis of scattering and

energy dissipation by the composite system and its components, viz.,
rubble mound and flexible porous plate is also presented.

5.2.1. Reflection and transmission by the composite breakwater

In this section, reflection and transmission coefficients

𝐾𝑟 = |𝑅0 | and 𝐾𝑡 = |𝑇0 | (38)

are computed for different values of wave and structure parameters,

and energy dissipation is calculated as

𝐾𝑑 = 1 − 𝐾𝑟2 − 𝐾𝑡2 . (39)

In Fig. 5, reflection and transmission coefficients are plotted against

Fig. 4. 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 against incident angle 𝜃 for two values of height 𝑎∕ℎ of submerged
structure with 𝑁 = 10, 𝑘0 ℎ = 0.68, 𝜖 = 0.4, 𝑓 = 0.5, 𝑠 = 1, 𝐷 = 0, 𝜅 = 0, 𝐺 = 0 and
𝑏∕ℎ = 1. (Lines represent the present work, bullets represent the work of Losada et al.
(1996)).
out. The values of physical parameters are kept fixed as in Table 1
unless mentioned otherwise.
5.1. Validation and convergence study
For the validation of our work, we compare our results with those
obtained by Losada et al. (1996) for wave motion over a porous
rectangular submerged structure, by considering 𝐷 = 0, 𝜅 = 0 and
porous-effect parameter 𝐺 = 0 along with free edge conditions (15),
so that the plate cover approximates a free surface. Other parameters
are taken as 𝑘0 ℎ = 0.68, 𝜖 = 0.4, 𝑓 = 0.5, 𝑠 = 1 and 𝑏∕ℎ = 1, and the
number of modes 𝑁 = 10 as in Losada et al. (1996).
Fig. 4 shows that the two results are in excellent agreement, thereby
confirming the validity of the current investigation and the accuracy of
the results.
Table 3 indicates a rapid rate of convergence of the eigenfunction
expansions, with values of scattering coefficients correct upto 3 decimal
places for 𝑁 = 5, and 4 decimal places for 𝑁 = 8. It is clear that 𝑁 = 5
would yield sufficiently accurate estimates for scattering coefficients;
hence, the number of evanescent modes is restricted to 5 for all graphs
presented in this work.
5.2. Scattering coefficients and wave forces
The performance of the composite breakwater system is evaluated
in this section by analyzing the reflection and transmission coefficients
for various physical parameters such as incident angle, barrier width,
friction and height of rubble mound, and porosity and flexibility of the
plate. Variation of vertical forces acting on plates of different material
characteristics due to the presence of the submerged structure and the
effect of plate cover on the horizontal waveload on the rubble mound
non-dimensional barrier width 𝑏∕ℎ and incident angle 𝜃 by considering
three different plate conditions: clamped, simply-supported and free.
Reflection is the highest when plate edges are fixed and the lowest
when they are free, for all values of 𝑏∕ℎ and 𝜃, and amplitude of oscilla-
tion of reflection coefficients with respect to 𝑏∕ℎ is significantly higher
for plates with clamped edges; however, variation in edge conditions
has little impact on transmission. In view of the practical application
of the problem that requires the plate to be held in place, the edges are
to be fixed or simply supported. In the following discussion, we assume
fixed plate edge conditions.
The surface plots in Figs. 6 and 7 show the effect of porous-effect
parameter 𝐺 of the floating plate on the hydrodynamic scattering quan-
tities, for two different barrier widths 𝑏∕ℎ = 1 and 𝑏∕ℎ = 5, respectively.
It is observed by a comparison of corresponding graphs in the two sets
of figures that the magnitude of reflection is not altered significantly
by increased width of the barrier. However, the transmission reduces
exponentially when 𝑏∕ℎ = 5 as a result of higher energy dissipation
due to the porous nature of both the plate and submerged structure.
When 𝐺 = 0, the plate is impermeable and does not contribute to
energy dissipation. Therefore, the magnitude of 𝐾𝑑 is small in this case
(Fig. 6(c) and Fig. 7(c)). Plate porosity causes substantial energy loss
and a corresponding reduction in transmission.
The real and imaginary parts of G, denoted respectively by 𝐺𝑟 and
𝐺𝑖 and defined as in Yu (1995), represent the friction and inertia effects
of the plate. It is interesting to note that when 𝐺𝑟 is small, an increase
in 𝐺𝑖 causes an oscillatory trend in scattering coefficients, particularly
in 𝐾𝑟 , with frequency of oscillation being greater for the wider barrier
. This phenomenon is not observed when 𝐺𝑟 is large and the effect of
friction is dominant. On the other hand, reduction in transmission is
achieved by an increase in 𝐺𝑟 which is the damping factor responsible
for dissipation of wave energy. It has been recorded in the literature
(e.g., Koley and Sahoo, 2018; Singla et al., 2019) that maximum energy
dissipation occurs for moderate values of G; this feature is evident
in Fig. 7(c) which demonstrates that optimum dissipation occurs near
𝐺𝑟 = 0.5 in the case of the wider barrier.
Fig. 8(a) and Fig. 8(b) depict the variation of reflection and trans-
mission coefficients for different values of flexural rigidity 𝐷∕ℎ4 of
plate and friction 𝑓 of the submerged structure. Fig. 8(a) indicates that

6
U.V. Kumar et al. Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491

Fig. 5. Variation of 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 against (a) structure width 𝑏∕ℎ (b) incident angle 𝜃 with 𝑏∕ℎ = 5, for different edge conditions.

Fig. 6. Effect of real and imaginary parts of G on (a) 𝐾𝑟 (b) 𝐾𝑡 and (c) 𝐾𝑑 , with 𝑏∕ℎ = 1.

Fig. 7. Effect of real and imaginary parts of G on (a) 𝐾𝑟 (b) 𝐾𝑡 and (c) 𝐾𝑑 , with 𝑏∕ℎ = 5.

reflection is higher and transmission is lower for plates that are more
rigid and that there is no variation in 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 when 𝐷∕ℎ4 > 0.05. The
effect of variation in friction coefficient of the submerged structure is
minimal, with only a small change in transmission due to the impact
of 𝑓 on energy dissipation (Fig. 8(b)). It is found that the effect of
variation of porosity of the rubble mound is similar to that of 𝑓 , the
impact on scattering coefficients being marginal; hence, graphs related
to 𝜖 are not presented in this manuscript.
Variation of the scattering coefficients for different values of 𝑎∕ℎ
against incident angle 𝜃 is presented in Fig. 9. Wave reflection increases
with the height of the submerged structure and transmission decreases,
but this trend reverses in the case of reflection for 𝜃 ≈ 400 and
transmission, for 𝜃 ≈ 700 . This phenomenon of reversal in the pattern
of 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 is not observed in the absence of floating plate (Fig. 4).
Energy dissipation, on the other hand, increases with the structure
height for all values of 𝜃 (Fig. 9(b)). In Fig. 10(a) and Fig. 10(b),
the reversal in pattern of 𝐾𝑟 is investigated further by examining the
variation of 𝐾𝑟 for larger barrier widths. It is observed that the point
of reversal shifts to the left as barrier width increases. When 𝑏∕ℎ = 5,
𝐾𝑟 reduces with an increase in 𝑎∕ℎ for 𝜃 > 20◦ and when 𝑏∕ℎ = 10, 𝐾𝑟
decreases with an increase in 𝑎∕ℎ for all values of 𝜃.
5.2.2. Effect of submerged porous structure on hydroelasticity of floating
plates
In this section, we examine the impact of the submerged porous
structure on wave scattering by a floating plate, the vertical force
on the plate and the plate deflection. The performance of a floating
plate in the presence and absence of the rubble mound is compared
by considering 𝑎∕ℎ = 0.4 (composite structure) and 𝑎∕ℎ = 0, respec-
tively. Wave scattering and forces on impermeable and porous plates

7
U.V. Kumar et al. Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491

Fig. 8. Variation of 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 against (a) incident angle 𝜃 for different 𝐷∕ℎ4 (b) width 𝑏∕ℎ for different 𝑓 , with 𝑎∕ℎ = 0.4.

Fig. 9. Variation of (a) 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 (b) 𝐾𝑑 against incident angle 𝜃 with different 𝑎∕ℎ.

Fig. 10. Variation of 𝐾𝑟 against incident angle 𝜃 for (a) 𝑏∕ℎ = 5 and (b) 𝑏∕ℎ = 10, with different 𝑎∕ℎ.

as well as plates of varying flexural rigidity are investigated separately In Fig. 11, reflection, transmission and dissipation coefficients are
and plate deflection is analyzed for two different values of 𝑏∕ℎ. The plotted against 𝑏∕ℎ for porous and non-porous flexible plates, with
height of submerged structure 𝑎∕ℎ = 0 and 𝑎∕ℎ = 0.4. Although the
non-dimensional vertical force 𝐾𝑣 on the floating plate is
presence of the submerged porous structure (𝑎∕ℎ = 0.4) leads to mod-
erate reduction in transmission by both permeable and impermeable
𝜔 || |
𝑏
𝐾𝑣 = | 𝜙2 (𝑥, 0)𝑑𝑥|| (40) plates, it has little impact on reflection coefficients, only contributing
𝑔ℎ | 0
2 ∫ |
to a marginal damping in the resonant pattern. Periodic zero reflection
and the plate deflection is obtained from the kinematic condition in and full transmission, which is a salient feature of scattering by non-
porous elastic plates, is eliminated due to energy dissipation by the
equation. (5) as
porous submerged structure (Fig. 11(a)). Further, when the plate is
( ) porous, the oscillatory nature of 𝐾𝑟 is observed only for smaller barrier
i 𝜕𝜙2
𝜂= + i𝑘𝑜 𝐺𝜙2 (41) width. As expected, energy dissipation is zero when the rubble mound
𝜔 𝜕𝑧

8
U.V. Kumar et al. Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491

Fig. 11. Variation of (a) 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 (b) 𝐾𝑑 against width 𝑏∕ℎ, for impermeable and porous plates, with 𝑎∕ℎ = 0 (floating plate) and 𝑎∕ℎ = 0.4 (composite structure).

Fig. 12. Variation of (a) 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 (b) 𝐾𝑑 against width 𝑏∕ℎ in the case of floating plate (𝑎∕ℎ = 0) and composite structure (𝑎∕ℎ = 0.4) for two values of 𝐷∕ℎ4 .

is absent and the plate is non-porous (Fig. 11(b)); this observation pro- 𝑏∕ℎ = 20, with varying heights of the rubble mound. For a porous
vides additional validation of the results presented in this work. There plate, amplitude of plate deflection decreases with an increase in 𝑎∕ℎ
is only a small increase in energy dissipation by porous elastic plate and reduces to negligible levels towards the far end of sufficiently wide
in the presence of the submerged structure. Moreover, 𝐾𝑑 increases plates. In the case of impermeable plate, it is observed from Fig. 14(a)
continuously with an oscillatory trend when the impermeable plate is that, when 𝑎∕ℎ = 0, maximum deflection amplitude occurs towards
coupled with a submerged porous structure, while 𝐾𝑑 increases only the leeward side while Fig. 14(b) demonstrates that the deflection is
up to a width of 𝑏∕ℎ = 4 for porous plate, regardless of the presence of almost uniform for a wider plate. Reduction in this peak value due to
the rubble mound. increase in 𝑎∕ℎ is more substantial for the wider impermeable plate.
With respect to flexural rigidity, it is observed that the reduction in Plate deflection is zero at the two ends of the plate since the edges are
transmission caused by the submerged structure is on a similar scale fixed.
for both the values of 𝐷∕ℎ4 and is related to the increase in 𝐾𝑑 , while
reduction in reflection is negligible for more rigid plates (Fig. 12). 5.2.3. Horizontal forces on the rubble mound
The oscillatory pattern of scattering coefficients is more apparent when In this subsection, we investigate whether the inclusion of a floating
flexibility is low and is not altered due to the presence of the submerged plate would contribute to the reduction of waveload on the rectangular
structure. structure, thereby extending its life. The non-dimensional horizontal
Fig. 13 depicts the variation of vertical wave forces on the plate
forces on the front and rear walls of the submerged rubble mound are,
for two different values of porosity and flexural rigidity. In general,
respectively, given by
the magnitude of wave forces acting on the plate exhibits periodic
𝜔 || |
−ℎ+𝑎
oscillation. In the absence of porosity, there is periodic zero minimum
𝐾ℎ𝑓 = |(𝑠 − i𝑓 ) 𝜙3 (0, 𝑧)𝑑𝑧|| and (42)
and the maximum value of wave force remains unchanged through 𝑔ℎ |
2 ∫−ℎ |
the width of the impermeable plate (Fig. 13(a)). Energy dissipation by
𝜔 || |
−ℎ+𝑎
porous plate and submerged structure causes considerable attenuation 𝐾ℎ𝑏 = (𝑠 − i𝑓 ) 𝜙3 (𝑏, 𝑧)𝑑𝑧||. (43)
𝑔ℎ2 || ∫−ℎ |
of maxima and minima as well as damping of the oscillatory pattern as
the modes are transmitted across the width of the barrier. A similar These forces are plotted against barrier width in Fig. 15 for free
phenomenon of reduction in wave force and oscillation is observed surface, impermeable plate cover and porous plate cover with two
from (Fig. 13(b)) in the case of variation in 𝐷∕ℎ4 . It is to be noted that, values of porous effect parameter, 𝐺 = 0.25 + 0.25i and 𝐺 = 0.5 + 0.5i.
for very small barrier width, vertical force on the plate is not affected The wave force on the front wall of the submerged structure is the
by porosity or plate elasticity. greatest when the water surface has an impermeable elastic plate cover.
Fig. 14 shows the displacement profile of the floating non-porous Plate porosity reduces the magnitude of the force and also damps the
and porous plates under the action of wave forces for 𝑏∕ℎ = 6 and oscillatory pattern (Fig. 15(a)). It is inferred that substantial reduction

9
U.V. Kumar et al. Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491

Fig. 13. Variation of vertical force 𝐾𝑣 against width 𝑏∕ℎ for two different values of (a) 𝐺 (impermeable and porous plates) and (b) 𝐷∕ℎ4 , with 𝑎∕ℎ = 0 and 𝑎∕ℎ = 0.4.

Fig. 14. Variation of plate deflection |𝜂|∕ℎ against 𝑥∕ℎ for porous and non-porous plates, with different 𝑎∕ℎ and (a) 𝑏∕ℎ = 6, (b) 𝑏∕ℎ = 20.

Fig. 15. Variation of horizontal wave forces on (a) front wall (b) rear wall of rubble mound with 𝑎∕ℎ = 0.5 against width 𝑏∕ℎ for different surface profiles.

in waveload can be achieved by a plate of suitable porosity. Unlike
the wave force on the front wall, the horizontal force on the back wall
diminishes with increase in width (Fig. 15(a)). The magnitude of this
force is not affected by the presence of floating non-porous plate as
there is no additional energy dissipation. On the other hand, when the
plate is porous, force acting on the back wall reduces exponentially as
𝑏∕ℎ increases.
5.2.4. Comparison of performance of three types of porous barriers
A comparison of the effectiveness of three different porous barriers,
viz., a floating flexible porous plate, a submerged rubble mound and a
coupled system consisting of both of these, is presented in this section.
In Fig. 16, reflection and transmission coefficients are plotted against
incident angle and width for these three wave barriers, with 𝐺 = 0.15 +
0.15i. Reflection by floating plate as well as the composite structure
is considerably higher than that by the submerged rubble mound,
and transmission is lower with respect to both angle of incidence and

10
U.V. Kumar et al.
Fig. 16. Variation of 𝐾𝑟 and 𝐾𝑡 versus (a) incident angle 𝜃 (b) barrier width 𝑏∕ℎ for three different porous structures.
Fig. 17. Variation of 𝐾𝑑 versus (a) incident angle 𝜃 (b) barrier width 𝑏∕ℎ, for three values of 𝐺 for three different porous structures. The dashed lines correspond to the submerged
rectangular structure, the dotted lines, the floating plate and the continuous lines, the composite structure.
barrier width, due to the concentration of wave energy near the surface.
Zero minimum in 𝐾𝑟 at the critical angle 𝜃 = 50◦ is only observed
for the rubble mound. Further, reflection coefficients are oscillatory
for all values of 𝑏∕ℎ in the case of the rubble mound with periodic
zero minimum, whereas for plate and composite structure, oscillatory
pattern occurs only for lower values of barrier width, becoming stable
with increase in 𝑏∕ℎ.
Variation in energy dissipation by the rubble mound, the plate and
the composite system for different values of plate porosity is depicted
in Fig. 17. Energy dissipation by composite breakwaters is significantly
higher than that by the submerged rectangular structure, and although
there is a moderate increase in reflection, transmission reduces to very
low levels with increase in width. This indicates that the performance
of a submerged rubble mound breakwater can be enhanced by the
addition of a porous floating flexible plate. Fig. 16(b) indicates that
there is a significant reduction in transmission by the coupled system
when 𝐺 = 0.15 + 0.15i. However, the presence of porous bottom
topography has a limited impact on energy dissipation by a floating
flexible porous plate and its effect diminishes with increase in absolute
value of the porous-effect parameter.
6. Conclusions
The problem of surface gravity wave interaction with a finite flex-
ible porous plate in the presence of a submerged rectangular porous
structure is investigated, assuming linear theory for water waves and
structure response. The flexible plate is modeled based on thin plate
theory, neglecting compressive forces and incorporating a porosity
parameter while the flow through the submerged structure follows the
11
Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491
Sollitt and Cross model. A matched-eigenfunction method is employed
to set up a system of linear equations that is solved to obtain the
hydrodynamic scattering coefficients for various physical parameters
associated with the problem. Validity of the conclusions has been
confirmed by comparing our result with established results for a sub-
merged rectangular porous structure that are available in the literature
and further, by verification of the energy conservation result for non-
porous structures. An excellent rate of convergence of reflection and
transmission coefficients allows for truncation of the associated system
of equations at N=5; thus the eigenfunction method is a highly efficient
one, although the task of locating the roots of the dispersion equation
is challenging.
It is found that porous effect of the plate material dominates the
scattering property of the coupled system, and a plate of suitable poros-
ity contributes to an exponential decrease in transmission coefficient
with an increase in relative width. For a sufficiently wide barrier,
maximum energy dissipation occurs when Re(𝐺) ≈ 0.5. Wave reflection
increases with an increase in height of submerged structure but the
pattern reverses for incident wave angle greater than 40◦ , with the point
of reversal shifting to the left for wider plates. The presence of the
submerged porous structure reduces transmission by the floating plate
as well as the wave forces on the plate, which leads to reduction in plate
deflection. This effect is more pronounced in the case of impermeable
plate. There is considerable mitigation of horizontal force on the walls
of the rubble mound due to the presence of a floating plate of certain
optimum porosity. Thus, the presence of the porous plate not only
reduces wave transmission substantially, but also limits damage to
rubble mound breakwaters due to continuous wave action.
U.V. Kumar et al.
The submerged permeable structure that is considered for the
present study could represent a rubble mound breakwater or inho-
mogeneous bottom topography. Thus, the results would be useful in
investigating the wave attenuating properties of a composite break-
water and also provide insights into the performance of a floating
horizontal plate breakwater under more realistic bed conditions.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Uma Vinod Kumar: Writing – original draft, Software. Sunanda
Saha: Defining Problem, Software, Writing – review & editing. Swa-
roop Nandan Bora: Supervision, Writing – review & editing.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to
influence the work reported in this paper.
Data availability statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this
study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable
request. There is no data that is used for this work. MATLAB codes
are available with the authors which, if required, can be obtained from
the corresponding author.
Acknowledgments
The efforts of the Reviewers in going through every minute aspect
of the manuscript are highly appreciated. Their comments and sugges-
tions have really been immensely helpful which allowed a very much
improved and practical revision of the manuscript. The Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Atilla Incecik is also profusely thanked for allowing a revision. The
support of the authors’ host institutions is gratefully acknowledged.
No research funding was received for this study.
References
Behera, H., Koley, S., Sahoo, T., 2015. Wave transmission by partial porous structures
in two-layer fluid. Eng. Anal. Bound. Elem. 58, 58–78.
Behera, H., Ng, C.O., Sahoo, T., 2018a. Oblique wave scattering by a floating elastic
plate over a porous bed in single and two-layer fluid systems. Ocean Eng. 159,
280–294.
Behera, H., Sahoo, T., 2014. Gravity wave interaction with porous structures in
two-layer fluid. J. Eng. Math. 87, 73–97.
Behera, H., Sahoo, T., 2015. Hydroelastic analysis of gravity wave interaction with
submerged horizontal flexible porous plate. J. Fluids Struct. 54, 643–660.
Behera, H., Sahoo, T., Chiu-On, N., 2018b. Effect of a submerged porous plate on the
hydroelastic response of a very large floating structure. J. Mar. Sci. Appl. 17 (4),
564–577.
Chanda, A., Bora, S.N., 2020. Effect of a porous sea-bed on water wave scattering by
two thin vertical submerged porous plates. Eur. J. Mech. B Fluids 84, 250–261.
Chwang, A.T., Chan, A.T., 1998. Interaction between porous media and wave motion.
Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 30 (1), 53–84.
12
Ocean Engineering 246 (2022) 110491
Dai, J., Wang, C.M., Utsunomiya, T., Duan, W., 2018. Review of recent research and
developments on floating breakwaters. Ocean Eng. 158, 132–151.
Dalrymple, R., Losada, M., Martin, P., 1991. Reflection and transmission from porous
structures under oblique wave attack. J. Fluid Mech. 224, 625–644.
Das, S., Bora, S.N., 2014. Wave damping by a vertical porous structure placed near and
away from a rigid vertical wall. Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 108 (2), 147–167.
Esteban, M., Takagi, H., Thao, N.D., Yamamoto, L., 2015. Stability of shallow rubble
mound breakwaters under climate change induced sea level rise. In: Handbook of
Coastal Disaster Mitigation For Engineers and Planners. Elsevier Inc., pp. 675–696.
Fox, C., Squire, V.A., 1990. Reflection and transmission characteristics at the edge of
shore fast sea ice. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans 95(C7), 11629–11639.
Hsu, H., Wu, Y., 1998. Scattering of water wave by a submerged horizontal plate and
a submerged permeable breakwater. Ocean Eng. 26 (4), 325–341.
Khan, M.B.M., Behera, H., 2019. Analysis of wave action through multiple submerged
porous structures. J. Offshore Mech. Arct. Eng. 142 (1), 011101.
Koley, S., Mondal, R., Sahoo, T., 2018. Fredholm integral equation technique for
hydroelastic analysis of a floating flexible porous plate. Eur. J. Mech. B Fluids
67, 291–305.
Koley, S., Sahoo, T., 2018. An integro-differential equation approach to study the
scattering of water waves by a floating flexible porous plate. Geophys. Astrophys.
Fluid Dyn. 112 (5), 345–356.
Kulp, S.A., Strauss, B.H., 2019. New elevation data triple estimates of global
vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding. Nature Commun. 10, 4844.
Li, Y., Liu, Y., Teng, B., 2006. Porous effect parameter of thin permeable plates. Coast.
Eng. 48 (4), 309–336.
Liu, Y., Li, H.J., 2013. Hydrodynamic performance of a composite breakwater with an
upper horizontal porous plate and a lower rubble mound. Ocean Syst. Eng. 3 (1),
55–70.
Losada, I.J., Silva, R., Losada, M.A., 1996. 3-D non-breaking regular wave interaction
with submerged breakwaters. Coast. Eng. 28, 229–248.
Maiti, P., Mandal, B.N., 2014. Water wave scattering by an elastic plate floating in an
ocean with a porous bed. Appl. Ocean Res. 47, 73–84.
Mendez, F.J., Losada, I.J., 2004. A perturbation method to solve dispersion equations
for water waves over dissipative media. Coast. Eng. 51 (1), 81–89.
Meng, Q.R., Lu, D.Q., 2016. Scattering of gravity waves by a porous rectangular barrier
on a seabed. J. Hydrodyn. 28 (3), 519–522.
Meylan, M.H., Bennetts, L.G., Peter, M.A., 2017. Water-wave scattering and energy
dissipation by a floating porous elastic plate in three dimensions. Wave Motion 70,
240–250.
Sahoo, T., 2012. Mathematical Techniques for Wave Interaction with Flexible
Structures. CRC Press, Boca Raton, NY, pp. 22–25.
Sahoo, T., Yip, T.L., Chwang, A., 2001. Scattering of surface waves by a semi-infinite
floating elastic plate. Phys. Fluids 13, 3215.
Singla, S., Sahoo, T., Martha, S., Behera, H., 2019. Effect of a floating permeable plate
on the hydroelastic response of a very large floating structure. J. Eng. Math. 116,
49–72.
Sollitt, C.K., Cross, R.H., 1972. Wave transmission through permeable breakwaters. In:
Proc. 13th Coastal Engineering Conference. Vancouver, B.C. ASCE, New York, pp.
1827–1846.
Vijay, K.G., Venkateswarlu, V., Sahoo, T., 2021. Bragg scattering of surface gravity
waves by an array of submerged breakwaters and a floating dock. Wave Motion
106, 102807.
Xu, F., Lu, D.Q., 2009. An optimization of eigenfunction expansion method for the
interaction of water waves with an elastic plate. J. Hydrodyn. 21 (4), 526–530.
Yu, X., 1995. Diffraction of water waves by porous breakwaters. J. Waterw. Port C-ASCE
121, 275–282.
Zhao, Y., Li, H.J., Liu, Y., 2017. Oblique wave scattering by a submerged porous
breakwater with a partially reflecting sidewall. J. Mar. Sci. Technol. 25 (4),
383–392.
Zheng, S., Meylan, M., Fan, L., Greaves, D., Iglesias, G., 2020. Wave scattering by a
floating porous elastic plate of arbitrary shape: A semi-analytical study. J. Fluids
Struct. 92, 102827.