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A three-dimensional numerical wave tank was developed based on Reynolds averaged Navier&ndash, Stokes equations and the volume of fluid method. The moving boundary method is adopted in this model to generate water waves. Piston-type wave-makers are mimicked for the total replication of the physical wave tank conditions. Two-dimensional regular and irregular waves are simulated, with the capability to trigger the active wave absorption algorithm. The two-sided wave-maker system with L-type arrangement is adopted in this model to expand the effective wave areas for three-dimensional waves. Oblique regular waves and multidirectional random waves are simulated, yielding a good agreement with theoretical solutions. The results indicate that this numerical model is an effective tool to provide finer details or complement data unavailable due to the physical setting of a tank experiment.

Wave transformation over a submerged reef was investigated numerically using OpenFOAM. The numerical model was validated against the physical experimental data, and it has shown that the model is capable of simulating the key processes of wave shoaling, breaking and transmission over the submerged reef. A series of new numerical studies were conducted considering different incident wave heights, submergences and slopes of the reef. The influences of reef slope and submergence on the wave properties over the reef are discussed.