Faculty Publications

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    Effect of emerged coastal vegetation on wave attenuation using open source CFD tool: REEF3D
    (Springer, 2019) Hunasanahally Sathyanarayana, H.S.; Suvarna, P.; Abhijith, P.A.; Prabhu, A.S.; Umesh, U.; Kamath, A.
    Coastal vegetation is a soft solution for protecting the coast from the action of waves by attenuating the wave height and reducing the energy of the waves. Effect of wave height attenuation as a result of the presence of emerged coastal vegetation is studied numerically by resolving the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. A three-dimensional numerical wave tank model is simulated using an open source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software REEF3D, and wave attenuation due to emerged coastal vegetation is determined. An artificial, rigid, emerged vegetation for a length of 2m is developed in a numerical wave tank of REEF3D. The model is tested for regular waves of height 0.08, 0.12, and 0.16 m and wave periods of 1.8 and 2 s in a water depth of 0.40 and 0.45 m. The wave heights are measured at different locations along the vegetation meadow at 0.5 m intervals. The devolved numerical model is corroborated by comparing the obtained numerical results with the experimental results as reported by John et al. (Experimental investigation of wave attenuation through artificial vegetation meadow, ISH—HYDRO, [1]). The numerically obtained results are concurrent with the experimental results. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019.
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    Laboratory investigations on the effect of fragmentation and heterogeneity of coastal vegetation in wave height attenuation
    (Springer, 2019) Shirlal, K.G.; John, B.M.; Rao, S.
    It has long been known that “bio-shields” do function as a sustainable solution for preserving our coasts. The presence of gaps in the “bio-shield”, that is, the forest cover, referred to as patchiness, is a common phenomenon in natural habitats. Various anthropogenic and natural causes can result in such gaps in coastal forests. This paper presents the results of a physical model investigation carried out with a fragmented heterogeneous vegetation model in a wave flume 50 m long, 0.71 m wide and 1.1 m deep. The heterogeneous meadow is modelled as a combined body of artificial submerged seagrass, rigid vegetation and emergent vegetation. To study the effect of fragmentation in vegetation, transverse gaps of varying widths are introduced in the heterogeneous model. The material used for modelling is polyethylene and nylon. The test runs were carried out with monochromatic waves of heights ranging from 0.08 to 0.16 m in water depths of 0.40 and 0.45 m, and wave periods 1.8 and 2 s. The wave height measurements at different locations within the vegetated meadow exhibit an exponential decay of wave heights. The presence of gaps in vegetation does not have a significant effect on wave height reduction. However, the experimental study revealed that heterogeneous vegetation showed a great promise leading to considerable wave attenuation, thus offering a good level of protection to life and property on the leeside. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019.
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    Physical Model Study on the Soft Option of Coastal Protection Works by Vegetation Meadow—A Review
    (Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023) Surakshitha; Rao, M.; Rao, S.
    As the frequency of occurrence of the coastal hazards increasing along with sea level rise the number of hard structures installed to mitigate the beach erosion, flooding needs to be increased or upgraded. Attention on strategically utilizing the ecosystem service provided by vegetation to tackle such hazard is increasing in the coastal engineering field as the negative impact on the environmental and ecological system is less in this approach compared to conventional approach. The resistance offered by the vegetation meadow on wave energy depends on the submergence ratio, density of the plant per area, the rigidity of vegetation, and also on hydrodynamic characteristics. Prediction of behavior and effect on the wave propagation is necessary to determine the degree of effectiveness of the vegetation field in coastal defense. The physical model study which involves laboratory testing of small-scale models is one of the tools to examine and verify the effectiveness of structure under the action of the wave. The present paper focuses on the review of physical model study, their key findings and highlighting the criteria based on which material is selected to model the various real plants. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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    Laboratory investigations of wave attenuation by simulated vegetation of varying densities
    (Taylor and Francis Ltd. michael.wagreich@univie.ac.at, 2019) John, B.M.; Shirlal, K.G.; Rao, S.
    Coastal communities across the world are facing the need to adapt to rising sea levels, an increase in the frequency of natural hazards like storm surges, cyclones, tsunamis, and an increase in beach erosion. This present-day scenario calls for a sustainable, environment-friendly, and cost efficient solution for coastal protection. Under these circumstances, the role of vegetation in providing ecosystem services to coastal populations is becoming increasingly prominent. This work presents the results of an experimental study carried out with simulated rigid submerged and emergent vegetation meadows of varying plant densities in a wave flume 50 m long, 0.71 m wide and 1.1 m deep. The material used for modeling the vegetation is nylon. The tests are carried out with regular waves for water depths of 0.40 and 0.45 m, and wave periods 1.4–2 s at an interval of 0.2 s. Five different wave heights ranging from 0.08 to 0.16 m at an interval of 0.02 m are generated. Measurements of wave heights at different locations indicate an exponential decay in wave height along the vegetation meadow which leads to wave attenuation and confirms that vegetation can be a viable option for coastal protection. © 2017, © 2017 Indian Society for Hydraulics.
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    Hydrodynamic performance of floating kelp farms: Wave attenuation and coastal protection potential
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2025) Surakshitha; Rao, M.; Rao, S.
    Ecologically rich coastal zone play a crucial role in supporting both biodiversity and the economy. “Soft solutions” for coastal protection, such as vegetated breakwaters and artificial reefs, harness natural features to mitigate coastal erosion. Among these, flexible floating vegetation, such as kelp farms, presents a unique mechanism by altering flow patterns differently than bed-fixed vegetation. This study experimentally investigates the effectiveness of floating kelp farms in dissipating wave energy under monochromatic regular waves. The wave heights ranging from 0.06 m to 0.18 m and periods of 1.6 s–2.8 s is considered. The study examines the effects of two non-dimensional parameters: relative farm width (w/L, 0.1 to 2.5) and relative blade length (l/d, 0.25–1.0), representing the ratios of farm width to wavelength and blade length to water depth, respectively. Under the test conditions investigated, the highest wave dissipation coefficient (Kd ? 0.8) is observed for relative blade lengths of 0.75 and 0.5 at a water depth of 0.45 m. The optimal farm configuration occurred at a relative farm width between 0.3 and 0.4. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of kelp farm in wave energy dissipation and highlight its potential as a sustainable alternative for coastal protection. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd