Waves Propagating on an Adverse Jet

Raichlen, Fredric; ,

Waves Propagating on an Adverse Jet

by Fredric Raichlen, California Inst of Technology, Pasadena, United States,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Ocean Wave Measurement and Analysis

Abstract:

A laboratory investigated was conducted of the propagation of waves on an adverse three-dimensional jet. The problem which was simulated was the ebb-tide flow from a tidal inlet into a constant depth ocean and the effect of such a flow on an incoming waves. The following major conclusions may be drawn from this study: 1. A slat type wave machine which permits flow through the wave generator plate appears to work well for such a study of wave-current interactions. The performance of the generator is described reasonably well by an available theory. 2. The jet discharge from a channel located asymmetrically in the flume appears to agree reasonably well with results for a two-dimensional symmetric turbulent jet. 3. The experimental arrangement used controls the jet discharge by the use of the training wall, and in this manner allows for the isolation of certain aspects of he problem. 4. Even fro small ratio of the average velocity at the channel exit to the wave celerity, i.e., less than 10%, the incident wave height with the adverse current is more than twice what it is without the current. 5. In the region seaward of the channel exit a wave maximum occurs caused primarily by the effects of refraction. 6. The wave height decreases significantly as waves propagate up the channel for the case with an adverse current. This effect apparently is not due to friction. 7. There is a significant lateral variation of wave height across the flume caused by the jet which may be due to both wave refraction and the shoreward velocities induced by the effects of the entertainment of the ambient fluid by the jet which discharges from the channel exit.

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