Numerical investigation of turbulence generation in non-breaking potential waves

Abstract

Theoretically, potential waves cannot generate the vortex motion, but scale considerations indicate that if the steepness of waves is not too small, Reynolds number can exceed critical values. This means that in presence of initial non-potential disturbances the orbital velocities can generate the vortex motion and turbulence. In the paper, this problem was investigated numerically on basis of full two-dimensional (x-z) equations of potential motion with the free surface in cylindrical conformal coordinates. It was assumed that all variables are a sum of the 2D potential orbital velocities and 3D non-potential disturbances. The non-potential motion is described directly with 3D Euler equatio..