Author(s): S. Mai; V. Berkhahn
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Coastal engineering; Numerical wave simulation; Regular mesh generation; B-spline surfaces
Abstract: Numerical simulations in hydrodynamics based on the methods of finite differences require regular element meshes of the bathymetry. The approximation quality of these meshes as well as the shape of the elements strongly influence the quality of the results of numerical simulations especially in the area of wave forecast. In this paper an innovative approach is developed which facilitates the process of mesh generation based on initial measurement data. This approach is characterized by the approximation of bathymetries with b-spline surfaces. Regular meshes with different resolutions can be very easily generated based on these approximating free form surfaces. The efficiency and the effects of this approach is analysed within numerical wave simulations using the phase averaged wave model SWAN. These studies are carried out for the Weser River at the German North Sea coast.
Year: 2003