On the Secondary Flow Induced by a Wave Maker

Abstract

Mass transport in water waves is a nonlinear phenomenon and it plays important role in the environmental problems in the ocean such as the propagation of oil spills and the diffusion of contaminated materials. Mass transport induced by a wave maker in the shallow wave tank is theoretically and experimentally studied. Viscous effects on free-surface and water bottom are considered by the boundary layer theory with the basis of Longuet-Higgins' thoery. Contributions by local waves in front of a wave maker are exactly taken into account by the eigen function expansions. Stream lines and velocity vectors are presented graphically and they are validated in comparison with measurements measurements in a wave flume.