Numerical Modeling of Berm Breakwater Optimization With Varying Berm Geometry Using REEF3D

Harbors are important infrastructures for an offshore production chain. These harbors are protected from the actions of sea by breakwaters to ensure safe loading, unloading of vessels and also to protect the infrastructure. In current literature, research regarding the design of these structures is majorly based on physical model tests. In this study a new tool, a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model is introduced. The open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model REEF3D is used to study the design of berm breakwaters. The model uses the Volume-averaged Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (VRANS) equations to solve the porous flows. At first, the VRANS approach in REEF3D is validated for flow through porous media. A dam break case is simulated and comparisons are made for the free surface both inside and outside the porous medium. The numerical model REEF3D is applied to show how to extend the database obtained with purely numerical results, simulating different structural alternatives for the berm in a berm breakwater. Different simulations are conducted with varying berm geometry. The influence of the berm geometry on the pore pressure and velocities are studied. The resulting optimal berm geometry is compared to the geometry according to empirical formulations.