Circulation Current Patterns Behind Submerged Breakwaters

The benefits of submerged breakwaters, compared to their fully emergent counterparts, remain under-utilized due to limited understanding of wave evolution and current generation near these structures. This knowledge gap has certainly restricted their application in coastal protection efforts. The present study aims to address this by visualizing and quantifying nearshore circulations behind solid and porous submerged breakwaters, using a particle tracking velocimetry technique in a small-scale laboratory experiment. Preliminary design guidelines are proposed based on the findings. The research specifically investigates the development of converging circulations closer to the shoreline and identifies the key influencing parameters. The results are applicable to systems with three submerged breakwaters or arrays of submerged breakwaters extending along the shore. Additionally, these findings can help validate numerical models, contributing to improved designs for submerged breakwater systems.