Bed-Shear Stress in Turbulent Wave-Current Boundary Layers

Abstract

An approach for calculating turbulent flows in a wave-current boundary layer over a slowly varying bed is presented. Waves are periodic in time with several harmonics. In this paper, we adopt a time invariant eddy viscosity model, in which the eddy viscosity is linearly proportional to the distance from the bed. The boundary-layer flow field is solved analytically in terms of Fourier components. The approach allows fast computations and can be easily included in a phase resolving wave propagation model. As a part of the results, bottom shear stress and the spatial variation of the boundary layer thickness are also obtained. Present results compare well with experimental data and can explain the asymmetries in the bottom shear stress under sawtooth shaped waves.