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Open access publications by faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students from the Center for Applied Coastal Research.
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- ItemA surface porosity approach for eliminating artificial ponding in coastal salt marsh simulations(Coastal Engineering, 2022-11-23) Deb, Mithun; Kirby, James T.; Abdolali, Ali; Shi, FengyanHydrodynamic processes over marsh topography are significantly affected by surface defects such as cuts and rills on channel berms and platforms. These meter-scale features are often missing in the model representation due to the spatial resolution available from data sources, as well as incomplete resolution in the model grid itself. To minimize the artificial hydraulic isolation in the numerical models, we propose implementing an effective porosity algorithm on the marsh surface by considering the fine-scale topography over marsh depressions that control the drainage process. The modification is carried out to eliminate artificial ponding effects observed in model simulations in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, DE, USA using the original FVCOM code. Results from the revised and original FVCOM models are compared with pressure gauge data collected from an isolated depression in the marsh platform. The new implementations for proper wetting and drying are efficient and accurate for hydrodynamic modeling inside a complex salt-marsh system, which constitutes a major breakthrough in the context of increasing need for better understanding of physical and morphological changes in valuable coastal ecosystems.
- ItemMomentum Balance Analysis of Spherical Objects and Long-Term Field Observations of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) in the Swash Zone(Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2023-01-03) Cristaudo, Demetra; Gross, Benedict M.; Puleo, Jack A.Military activity has resulted in unexploded ordnance (UXO) existing in the nearshore. Understanding and predicting UXO behavior is important for object identification, and management. Here, two studies (laboratory and fieldwork) have been conducted to observe UXO surrogates in the swash zone and relate burial and migration to the underlying forcing conditions. A small-scale laboratory dam-break study was conducted to quantify migration of varying density spherical objects at different locations on a sloping, mobile, sandy bed. A moment balance was applied to derive two data-driven relationships to: (1) predict moments from the cross-shore flow velocity with predictions confined within a factor of two; (2) predict upslope or downslope migration from the moment. Fitting coefficients for the upslope and downslope relationships vary as a function of density, initial position, and burial. A field study was also conducted to investigate long-term behavior of eight varieties of UXO surrogates. Of the 129 observations, 56% were mobilized of which 76% were directed offshore. Burial/exposure was mostly related to far-field beach accretion/erosion (67%). However, scouring processes were also observed. Data showed that migration is likely a short-term process and most munitions will ultimately scour into a mobile bed.
- ItemLayout and design optimization of ocean wave energy converters: A scoping review of state-of-the-art canonical, hybrid, cooperative, and combinatorial optimization methods(Energy Reports, 2022-11-23) Golbaz, Danial; Asadi, Rojin; Amini, Erfan; Mehdipour, Hossein; Nasiri, Mahdieh; Etaati, Bahareh; Naeeni, Seyed Taghi Omid; Neshat, Mehdi; Mirjalili, Seyedali; Gandomi, Amir H.Ocean Wave energy is becoming a prominent technology, which is considered a vital renewable energy resource to achieve the Net-zero Emissions Plan by 2050. It is also projected to be commercialized widely and become a part of the industry that alters conventional energy technologies in the near future. However, wave energy technologies are not entirely yet developed and mature enough, so various criteria must be optimized to enter the energy market. In order to maximize the performance of wave energy converters (WECs) components, three challenges are mostly considered: Geometry, Power Take-off (PTO) parameters, and WECs’ layout. As each of such challenges plays a meaningful role in harnessing the maximum power output, this paper systematically reviews applied state-of-the-art optimization techniques, including standard, hybrid, cooperative, bi-level and combinatorial strategies. Due to the importance of fidelity and computational cost in numerical methods, we also discuss approaches to analyzing WECs interactions’ developments. Moreover, the benefits and drawbacks of the popular optimization methods applied to improve WEC parameters’ performance are summarized, briefly discussing their key characteristics. According to the scoping review, using a combination of bio-inspired algorithms and local search as a hybrid algorithm can outperform the other techniques in layout optimization in terms of convergence rate. A review of the geometry of WECs has emphasized the indispensability of optimizing and balancing design parameters with cost issues in multimodal and large-scale problems.
- ItemEntrainment and Transport of Well-Sorted and Mixed Sediment Under Wave Motion(Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 2022-08-08) Rafati, Yashar; Hsu, Tian-Jian; Calantoni, Joseph; Puleo, JackEntrainment and suspension of sediment particles with the size distribution similar to a range of natural sands were simulated with a focus on the vertical size sorting and transport dynamics in response to different wave conditions. The simulations were performed using a two-phase Eulerian-Lagrangian model by combining the LIGGGHTS discrete element method solver for sediment and SedFoam solver for the fluid phase. The model was first validated for a range of sand grain sizes from 0.21 to 0.97 mm having well-sorted and mixed (bimodal) size distributions using laboratory oscillatory flow data. Three sediment bed configurations were studied under a wide range of velocity-skewed waves with different wave intensity and skewness. It was found that the bimodal distribution having only 30% of coarse fraction and 70% of medium fraction responds similar to a well-sorted coarse sand configuration. Sediment fluxes of the bimodal distribution were slightly higher than those of well-sorted coarse sand because of the pronounced inverse grading in the bimodal distribution. Furthermore, for the bimodal distribution the medium fraction acted as a relatively smooth foundation underneath the coarse fraction which facilitated the mobilization of the coarser particles. Under high energy wave conditions, the smoothing feature was exacerbated and further caused the formation of plug flow where a thick layer of intense sediment flux was observed. Model results also showed that under high skewness waves, phase-lag effect occurred in well-sorted medium sand which caused lower net onshore sediment transport rates but the effect was significantly reduced for mixed sediments. Key Points: - Transport rates of mixed sand with bimodal distribution are similar to those of well-sorted coarse sand - Plug flow formation depends on the particle size distribution and occurs for the bimodal distribution - Phase lags in sediment entrainment and sediment settling are important for predicting net transport rates Plain Language Summary: Sediment transport driven by shoreward propagating waves depends on the sediment particle size. Generally, coarse particles (greater than 0.5 mm diameter) respond directly to the wave motion due to being entrained and transported near the bed with faster settling whereas medium particles (smaller than 0.3 mm diameter) do not respond directly to the flow field due to sediment entrainment away from the bed and slower settling. Natural sediment in coastal zones has a variety of sediment sizes often classified as well-sorted (nearly uniform sizes) or poorly sorted (mixed sediment sizes). The response of well-sorted sediment particles can be characterized and predicted with a representative sediment diameter. However, the response of mixed sediment depends on the size fractions and the interaction of different size fractions with each other and with the flow field. Well-sorted and mixed sediment particles were simulated using a computational model with conditions representative of normal and storm waves. Mixed sediment with only 30% of the coarse fraction (70% of the medium fraction) responded similar to the well-sorted coarse sediment with slightly higher sediment fluxes due to the inverse vertical sorting (upward coarsening). Additionally, the medium particles serve as a smooth bed underneath coarse particles enhancing sediment entrainment.
- ItemBlock-structured, equal-workload, multi-grid-nesting interface for the Boussinesq wave model FUNWAVE-TVD (Total Variation Diminishing)(Geoscientific Model Development, 2022-07-18) Choi, Young-Kwang; Shi, Fengyan; Malej, Matt; Smith, Jane M.; Kirby, James T.; Grilli, Stephan T.We describe the development of a block-structured, equal-CPU-load (central processing unit), multi-grid-nesting interface for the Boussinesq wave model FUNWAVE-TVD (Fully Nonlinear Boussinesq Wave Model with Total Variation Diminishing Solver). The new model framework does not interfere with the core solver, and thus the core program, FUNWAVE-TVD, is still a standalone model used for a single grid. The nesting interface manages the time sequencing and two-way nesting processes between the parent grid and child grid with grid refinement in a hierarchical manner. Workload balance in the MPI-based (message passing interface) parallelization is handled by an equal-load scheme. A strategy of shared array allocation is applied for data management that allows for a large number of nested grids without creating additional memory allocations. Four model tests are conducted to verify the nesting algorithm with assessments of model accuracy and the robustness in the application in modeling transoceanic tsunamis and coastal effects.