Duration: July 2005 – June 2009

Principal Investigator: Athanassios A. Dimas, Associate Professor, Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Patras

Funding: PENED – G.S.R.T. and Patras Port Authority

Research Areas: Coastal Engineering, Open-Sea Hydrodynamics

Services: Computations – Simulation

Research Team:

• George M. Horsch, Assistant Professor
  Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory
  Department of Civil Engineering
  University of Patras
   
• Alexander C. Demetracopoulos, Professor
  Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory
  Department of Civil Engineering
  University of Patras
   
• Vasilios Kaleris, Professor
  Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory
  Department of Civil Engineering
  University of Patras
   
• Panayotis Ch. Yannopoulos, Associate Professor
  Environmental Technology Laboratory
  Department of Civil Engineering
  University of Patras

PhD Candidates:

• Aggelos S. Dimakopoulos (Thesis A’)
  Supervisor: A.A. Dimas
  Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory
  Department of Civil Engineering
  University of Patras
   
• Nikolaos Th. Fourniotis (Thesis B’)
  Supervisor: G.M. Horsch
  Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory
  Department of Civil Engineering
  University of Patras

Budget: 90,000 €

The research project aims at the prediction of waves, currents and environmental parameters which affect transport mechanisms in the wide area of the old and new Port of Patras. The goals of the project are the development of computational tools for the prediction of the three-dimensional turbulent flow in the surf zone of breaking waves and the three-dimensional circulation induced by wind and tidal currents, as well as their interaction. The predictions are based on the numerical simulation of these flows.

The project consists of two doctoral dissertations, entitled “Numerical simulation of the three-dimensional turbulent flow induced by breaking waves in the coastal surf zone” (dissertation A) and “Three-dimensional numerical simulation of the hydrodynamic circulation in the Gulf of Patras with emphasis on the currents in the coastal zone of the Port of Patras” (dissertation B).

Each dissertation was conducted in three phases. For dissertation A, the first phase included the development and testing of the numerical code, the second phase included the study of the two-dimensional flow induced by breaking waves over bed of constant slope using a surface roller model, and the third included the study of the two- and three-dimensional flow induced by breaking waves over bed of constant slope using large-wave simulations. For dissertation B, the first phase included collection and classification of the oceanographic measurements conducted in the Gulf of Patras by various organizations (such as H.C.M.R. and various laboratories of the University of Patras), collection of the corresponding meteorological measurements (H.N.M.S. stations at the Araxos airport, laboratories of the University of Patras) and insertion of these parameters into the numerical code. The second phase included flow simulations in the Gulf of Patras, and the third phase included detailed simulations of flow in the southern shores of the Gulf.

Results

• Numerical simulation of the three-dimensional turbulent flow induced by breaking waves in the coastal surf zone
• Three-dimensional numerical simulation of the hydrodynamic circulation in the Gulf of Patras with emphasis on the currents in the coastal zone of the Port of Patras

Publications

1. Dimas, A.A. and Dimakopoulos, A.S., 2009. A Surface-Roller Model for the Numerical Simulation of Spilling Wave Breaking Over Constant Slope Beach. Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering (ASCE), accepted.
2. Dimakopoulos, A. S. and Dimas, A. A., 2008. Large-Wave Simulation of Spilling Breakers Over Immersed Longshore Bar. Proc. 16th Congress of Asia and Pacific Division of International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research and 3rd IAHR International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures A4a124, 20-23 October, Nanjing, China.
3. Fourniotis, N. Th. and Horsch, G. M., 2008. Modeling Wind and Tide-Induced Currents in the Eastern Ionian Sea: Patraikos Gulf (Greece). Proc. 16th Congress of Asia and Pacific Division of International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research and 3rd IAHR International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures A4a125, 20-23 October, Nanjing, China.
4. Dimakopoulos, A. S. and Dimas, A. A., 2008. Large-Wave Simulation of Spilling Breakers Over Constant-Slope Bottom. Proc. 27th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering OMAE2008-57164, 15-20 June, Estoril, Portugal.
5. Fourniotis, N. Th. and Horsch, G. M., 2008. Simulation of the Winter Meso-Scale Wind and Tidal Circulation in the Gulf of Patras (Greece). Proc. 27th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering OMAE2008-57394, 15-20 June, Estoril, Portugal.
6. Dimakopoulos, A. S. and Dimas, A. A., 2007. Numerical Simulation of Two-Dimensional Free-Surface Flow and Wave Transformation Over Constant-Slope Bottom Topography. Proc. 5th Joint ASME/JSME Fluids Engineering Conference, FEDSM2007-37520, San Diego, California.
7. Fourniotis, N. Th. and Horsch, G. M., 2007. Validation of a Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model and Application to the Gulf of Patras in Greece. Proc. 32nd Congress of IAHR, the International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research, 1-6 July, Venice, Italy.
8. Fourniotis, N. Th. and Horsch, G. M., 2007. 3-D Numerical Modeling of Wind-Induced Circulation in the Gulf of Patras: Winter Season. [Τρισδιάστατη Αριθμητική Προσομοίωση της Ανεμογενούς Κυκλοφορίας του Πατραϊκού Κόλπου: Χειμερινή Περίοδος]. Congress of EWRA, European Water Resources Association, Water Resources Management: New Approaches and Technologies, 14-16 June, Chania, Crete-Greece.

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