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The presence of floaters should be taken into account when dealing with hydraulic analyses, e.g. when boats are moored along the river banks or large wood is expected to be conveyed by the river flow during floods. Many approaches have been proposed so far in order to consider the effects of floaters upon the flow features. Usually, they rely on the numerical resolution of the governing equation for both the fluid and the solid phases. Hence, their computational cost can be inadequate at the early stage of hydraulic studies or when large scale analyses have to be performed. A simplified method to compute the value of the resistance coefficient able to reproduce the effects of floaters upon the flow levels is proposed herein. The method is intended to provide the hydraulic parameters to be used within standard hydraulic simulations for which the effects of floaters must be accounted for; this is obtained by means of a modified resistance coefficient.

Perforated multichamber caisson breakwaters are widely used for deep water harbour protection from waves, causing a partial dissipation of wave energy, hence reducing wave reflection. The innovative patented geometry presented in this paper, the ARPEC, is an Anti Reflection PErmeable Caisson breakwater that allows a significant wave energy dissipation and a hydraulic connection between the sea side and the port side by means of a labyrinthine pattern of offset openings in all external and internal walls. The hydraulic response of this innovative structure is evaluated by means of both 2D physical and numerical models. It is shown that, when compared with traditional impermeable perforated caissons, the marginal increase of wave transmission ( C T = H T / H I in the approximate range of 0.1–0.2, varying with wave period) is compensated by a slight reduction of wave reflection ( C R = H R / H I in the approximate range of 0.3–0.6, varying with wave period) and by an enhanced water circulation in the sheltered basin, which is beneficial for flushing of microtidal harbours.

A mechanical theory is described for a phenomenon in the surgical procedure of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA). In this procedure a balloon is pushed into the aorta by a catheter and then inflated in order to stop haemorrhage. One of the hazards of this procedure is the tendency for the balloon to migrate away from its intended position. This work examines the mechanics of balloon anchoring and migration by analysing the effects of pressure waves, the sheet flow and solid friction in the thin gap between the walls of the aorta and balloon. A viscoelastic model is adopted for the aorta wall for pressure waves between the left ventricle and the balloon. The lubrication approximation is used for blood flow in the thin gap between the walls of the balloon and aorta. Samples of quantitative predictions are discussed on how the inflation pressure and balloon characteristics affect the balloon anchoring and migration. The crucial roles of solid friction and balloon placement are pointed out, which should help in guiding the manufacturing of balloons and their usage in the field.

This paper illustrates a methodology to get a reliable estimation of the local wave properties, based on the reconstruction of the motion of a moving sailboat by means of GNSS receivers installed on board and an original kinematic positioning approach. The wave parameters reconstruction may be used for many useful practical purposes, e.g. to improve of autopilots, for real-time control systems of ships, to analyze and improve the performance of race sailboats, and to estimate the local properties of the waves. A Class 40 oceanic vessel (ECO40) left from the port of &ldquo, Riva di Traiano&rdquo, located close to Rome (Italy) on 19 October 2014 to perform a non-stop sailing alone around the world in energy and food self-sufficiency. The proposed system was installed on ECO40 and the proposed method was applied to estimate the wave properties during a storm in the Western Mediterranean Sea. The results compared against two sets of hindcast data and wave buoy records demonstrated the reliability of the method.

We analyse the effect of gate surface curvature on the nonlinear behaviour of an array of gates in a semi-infinite channel. Using a perturbation-harmonic expansion, we show the occurrence of new detuning and damping terms in the Ginzburg–Landau evolution equation, which are not present in the case of flat gates. Unlike the case of linearised theories, synchronous excitation of trapped modes is now possible because of interactions between the wave field and the curved boundaries at higher orders. Finally, we apply the theory to the case of surging wave energy converters (WECs) with curved geometry and show that the effects of nonlinear synchronous resonance are substantial for design purposes. Conversely, in the case of subharmonic resonance we show that the effects of surface curvature are not always beneficial as previously thought.

An innovative caisson breakwater geometry (patent pending) named "ARPEC" (Anti Reflective PErmeable Caisson) includes openings at all external and internal walls and at lateral (cross) ones, yet in a staggered pattern, to provide a labyrinthian hydraulic communication between the open sea and the internal waters. The complex sinuous water-flow within the consecutive permeable chambers thus favors wave energy dissipation as well as port water flushing and quality, with very low reflection and transmission coefficients. 2D lab model tests demonstrate the system effectiveness.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/PaUsinYO-Zo

The paper describes a measurement campaign carried out by means of GPS receivers installed on board of a moving sailboat and the application for the estimation of the local wave properties. The movements of the boat, as reconstructed using the present approach, may be used for many useful practical purposes, as for example the improvement of autopilots or for real time control systems of ships, to analyze and improve the performance of race sailboats, to estimate the local properties of the waves. An application of the method to estimate the wave properties during a storm in the Western Mediterranean Sea is presented, and the results compared against two sets of hindcast data and wave buoy records.

This work proposes an advancement in analytical modelling of landslide tsunamis propagating along a plane beach. It is divided into two parts. In the first one, the analytical two-horizontal-dimension model of Sammarco and Renzi (2008) for tsunamis generated by a Gaussian-shaped landslide on a plane beach is revised and extended to realistic landslide shapes. The influence of finiteness and shape of the slide on the propagating waves is investigated and discussed. In the second part, a new model of landslide tsunamis propagating along a semi-plane beach is devised to analyse the role of the continental platform in attenuating the wave amplitude along the shoreline. With these parameters taken into account, the fit with available experimental data is enhanced and the model completed.

This paper describes 2-D numerical simulations of velocity and pressure fields generated by non-breaking waves on a vertical breakwater with a recurved parapet wall. The influence of the geometrical characteristics of the parapet is investigated. An impulsive pressure force is identified and discussed with respect to the pure vertical wall case. This force is generated by the seaward flow confinement induced by the surging wave crest. We refer to this impulsive impact as “confined-crest impact”. A large part of the vertical wall is affected by an impulsive increase in pressure caused by pulsating wave, compared to the case where the parapet is completely vertical. The maximum values of the impulsive pressures are localized under the recurved parapet. The total force increase on the entire structure may be significant when compared to the pure vertical wall case.

We present a weakly nonlinear theory on the natural modes’ resonance of an array of oscillating wave surge converters (OWSCs) in a channel. We first derive the evolution equation of the Stuart–Landau type for the gate oscillations in uniform and modulated incident waves and then evaluate the nonlinear effects on the energy conversion performance of the array. We show that the gates are unstable to side-band perturbations so that a Benjamin–Feir instability similar to the case of Stokes’ waves is possible. The non-autonomous dynamical system presents period doubling bifurcations and strange attractors. We also analyse the competition of two natural modes excited by one incident wave. For weak damping and power take-off coefficient, the dynamical effects on the generated power of the OWSCs are investigated. We show that the occurrence of subharmonic resonance significantly increases energy production.

Pharmacokinetics induced by drug eluting stents (DES) in coronary walls is modeled by means of a one-dimensional multi-layered model, accounting for vessel curvature and non-homogeneous properties of the arterial tissues. The model includes diffusion mechanisms, advection effects related to plasma filtration through the walls, and bio-chemical drug reactions. A non-classical Sturm-Liouville problem with discontinuous coefficients is derived, whose closed-form analytical solution is obtained via an eigenfunction expansion. Soundness and consistency of the proposed approach are shown by numerical computations based on possible clinical treatments involving both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. The influence of the main model parameters on drug delivery mechanisms is analyzed, highlighting the effects induced by vessel curvature and yielding comparative indications and useful insights into the concurring mechanisms governing the pharmacokinetics.

We consider a ap gate farm, i.e. a series of P arrays, each made of Q neighbouring ap gates, in an open sea of constant depth, forced by monochromatic incident waves. The eect of the gate thickness on the dynamics of the system is taken into account. By means of Green’s theorem a system of hypersingular integral equations for the velocity potential in the uid domain is solved in terms of Legendre polynomials. We show that synchronous excitation of the natural frequencies of Sammarco et al. (Applied Ocean Research 43, 206{213, 2013) yields large amplitude response of gate motion. This aspect is fundamental for the optimisation of the gate farm for energy

The last mile of rivers often represents an option worth considering for the development of ports. This is particularly true in coastal areas that are densely developed. The simplest form of a port canal, i.e., boats moored along the banks, is an attractive option for the low investment required and the often acceptable residual wave motion. Some of the major rivers have thousands of boats moored along their banks. The effect of these floaters on the river levels during floods must be taken into account. The authors present a methodology based on the computation of the forces on a single boat or an array of boats that yields a quantification of the effect on the river levels. It essentially provides an iterative procedure for computing the value of the resistance coefficient to be used in hydraulic analysis. Theoretical predictions are satisfactorily confirmed by ad hoc experimental investigation.

This paper presents a new set of 3D experiments aimed to gain insight on the role of the initial acceleration upon the generation process of tsunamis by submerged landslides that may occur at the flanks of conical islands. The experiments have been carried out in a large wave tank by varying the initial acceleration of the landslide model. A novel system, relying on the use of a computer controlled stepped motor, has been employed to control the motion of the landslide model. The experiments have been carried out in a parametric way by changing the initial acceleration of the landslide, aiming to reproduce dierent triggering mechanisms. Preliminary experimental findings confirmed the crucial role of the initial acceleration of the submerged landslide in generating tsunamis.

We consider a flap-gate farm, i.e. a series of P arrays, each made by Q neighboring flap gates, in an infinitely long channel. We show that there are P × ( Q − 1) natural modes and determine their eigenfrequencies and modal forms. When the distance between the arrays goes to infinity the eigenfrequencies converge to the Q − 1 values given by Li and Mei [ 14 ]. For an ad-hoc combination of channel geometry and flap gate characteristics, modal excitation can give significantly larger response than for the case of a single or a sparse gate system. This aspect is relevant for the design of an optimal gate farm wave energy converter.

Landslide-generated tsunamis are lesser-known yet equally destructive than earthquake tsunamis. Indeed, the highest tsunami wave recorded in recent history was generated by a landslide in Lituya Bay (Alaska, July 9, 1958) and produced run-up in excess of 400 m. In this paper, we review the state of the art of landslide tsunami analytical modelling. Within the framework of a linearised shallow-water theory, we illustrate the dynamics of landslide tsunami generation and propagation along beaches and around islands. Finally, we highlight some intriguing new directions in the analytical modelling of landslide tsunamis to support early warning systems.

We consider a finite array of floating flap gates oscillating wave surge converter (OWSC) in water of constant depth. The diffraction and radiation potentials are solved in terms of elliptical coordinates and Mathieu functions. Generated power and capture width ratio of a single gate excited by incoming waves are given in terms of the radiated wave amplitude in the far field. Similar to the case of axially symmetric absorbers, the maximum power extracted is shown to be directly proportional to the incident wave characteristics: energy flux, angle of incidence and wavelength. Accordingly, the capture width ratio is directly proportional to the wavelength, thus giving a design estimate of the maximum efficiency of the system. We then compare the array and the single gate in terms of energy production. For regular waves, we show that excitation of the out-of-phase natural modes of the array increases the power output, while in the case of random seas we show that the array and the single gate achieve the same efficiency.

We consider a wave energy converter made of an array of Q neighbouring floating flap gates with finite thickness in front of a straight vertical wall in constant depth. Solutions of the radiation and scattering problems are achieved by application of Green's theorem and Green's function yielding a system of hypersingular integral equations for the velocity potential expanded in terms of Legendre polynomials. We investigate how the distance between the array and the vertical wall affects the performance of the array under the action of monochromatic and random waves. We show that large values of the exciting torque on the gates can be obtained by tuning the wall distance with the resonance of the natural modes of the array; this in turn yields large power extraction for a wide range of frequencies.

On 19 October 2014 Matteo Miceli, a known italian oceanic sailor, left the Port of Riva di Traiano (Rome, IT) with the italian sailing boat ECO 40, for the Roma Ocean World Project. This ambitious challenge consists of a non-stop sailing alone around the World in energy and food self-sufficiency. ECO 40 is a Class 40 oceanic vessel (LOA of 12,0 m) that has been equipped with a data acquisition system for measuring both the met-ocean parameters recorded (apparent and real wind speed and wind direction, atmospheric pressure, current velocity, air temperature, sea temperature, etc.) and the kinematic characteristics of the boat itself (i.e., speed and course over ground). Furthermore, the boat has been equipped with three high precision GPS receivers, provided by Leica Geosystem, for measuring the motion of the boat and an inertial platform. Due to these high-precision instruments it is possible to fully measure and characterize the six degrees of freedom of the boat, and accordingly to use her as a sailing wave buoy. Within this paper we present the analysis of the met-ocean data measured by the boat during the storm occurred in the Gulf of Lion on the 21–22 October 2014 that ECO 40 has faced just few days after her departure. Furthermore, by analyzing the GPS signals by means of an innovative application of differential kinematic positioning technique, a detailed analysis of the boat heeling during the Gulf of Lion event has been carried out. The boat heeling measurements have been used to correct the measured wind data that have been compared with the hindcast time series.

An analytical forced two-horizontal-dimension model is derived to investigate landslide tsunamis propagating around a conical island lying on a flat continental platform. Separation of variables and Laplace transform are used to obtain the free-surface elevation in the whole domain and the runup at the shoreline in terms of confluent Heun functions. The main properties of these functions and their asymptotic behaviour for large parameters are investigated. Expression of the transient leading wave travelling offshore is also derived. The distinguishing physical features of landslide tsunamis propagating in a round geometry are then pointed out and compared with those of landslide tsunamis propagating along a straight coast. Analytical results satisfactorily agree with available experimental data.

A forced two-horizontal-dimension analytical model is developed to investigate the distinguishing physical features of landslide-induced tsunamis generated and propagating on a plane beach. The analytical solution is employed to study the wave field at small times after the landslide motion starts. At larger times, the occurrence of transient edge waves travelling along the shoreline is demonstrated, showing the differences with the transient waves propagating over a bottom of constant depth. Results are satisfactorily compared with available experimental data. Finally, the validity of non-forced numerical models is discussed.

Tsunamigenic fast movements of the seabed generate pressure waves in weakly compressible seawater, namely hydro-acoustic waves, which travel at the sound celerity in water (about 1500 m s−1). These waves travel much faster than the counterpart long free-surface gravity waves and contain significant information on the source. Measurement of hydro-acoustic waves can therefore anticipate the tsunami arrival and significantly improve the capability of tsunami early warning systems. In this paper a novel numerical model for reproduction of hydro-acoustic waves is applied to analyze the generation and propagation in real bathymetry of these pressure perturbations for two historical catastrophic earthquake scenarios in Mediterranean Sea. The model is based on the solution of a depth-integrated equation, and therefore results are computationally efficient in reconstructing the hydro-acoustic waves propagation scenarios.

The paper presents a numerical model to reproduce the tsunami generation and propagation, which can be applied in real-time to be used as a forecasting tool. Free surface elevation measurements in a point close to the tsunami generation area, allows the real-time prediction of tsunami in the far field. This is possible due to an inversion technique. The measurements and modeling of hydro-acoustic waves could shorten the time for spreading the alarm and reduce the number of false alerts. In the paper new investigation about hydro-acoustic waves are also presented in order to outline their possible use to support Tsunami Early Warning System.

We present a depth-integrated equation for the mechanics of propagation of low-frequency hydroacoustic waves due to a sudden bottom displacement associated with earthquakes. The model equation can be used for numerical prediction in large-scale domains, overcoming the computational difficulties of three-dimensional models and so creating a solid base for tsunami early warning systems.

A forced three-dimension analytical model is developed to investigate the main characteristics of landslide tsunamis propagating on a semi-plane beach. The method of separation of variables and the Fourier transform are employed to obtain the solution in the form of an eigenfunction expansion. Parametric discussion and further comparison with the model of a uniformly sloping beach are finally made.

Transient waves generated by a box falling into water are analytically and experimentally investigated (Scott Russell wave generator). Within the frame of linear theory, a new analytical solution for the leading wave is proposed. It is shown that both the impulse pressure of the box’s impact on the free surface and the velocity field generated during the underwater phase (wave generator type boundary condition) have to be taken into account when predicting wave amplitude and period. The analytical solution, in satisfactory agreement with experiments performed in a two-dimensional flume, can be used for validating numerical models and for estimating the order of magnitude of landslide-generated waves.

The present study originates from a construction problem found in the planned deployment of the side caissons of the Venice gates barrier. Each of these caissons is made to float, then sunk into a lateral trench and jointed to the soil at its bottom. As a result, a C-shaped channel forms between the vertical caisson surfaces and the surrounding trench. Incoming storm waves propagating from the sea can then induce forced oscillations in this C-channel. An analytical model based on the method of matched asymptotics is developed in order to obtain the free surface oscillations in the channel, caused by a grazing incident wave. The resonant response of the basin and the amplification factors are then determined. From the free surface elevation, the pressure field and hence the total forces are also found. The analysis moves on to irregular wave motion. The analytical solution enables us to compute the dynamic actions, showing that their magnitude can be significant, due to the excitation of different resonant modes.

The complex dynamics of the Venice tidal barrier subjected to broadbanded wave spectra are investigated by applying empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis to experimental data sets. Space and frequency patterns of the natural modes of the barrier are reconstructed and satisfactorily compared with the recent theory of Li and Mei. The results indicate that when broadbanded wave spectra are considered, natural modes with the longest spatial wavelengths seem more likely to be excited than those with shorter wavelengths.

This paper looks at the iterative techniques and the convergence criteria that are necessary to deal with two difficulties in the integration of the full elliptic mild-slope equation, by means of an FEM model. The first difficulty is the nonlinearity due to the inclusion of a wave breaking dissipation factor. This paper gives an overall description of an iterative technique and presents an effective convergence criterion. It shows that this technique, although fully reliable, is time-consuming. Therefore the present paper also sets out to present an accelerated method, which is shown to be up to five times faster than the standard one. The second difficulty arises from the generally adopted boundary reflection condition, which depends on the angle-not known a priori-between the incident wave direction and the normal vector to the reflective boundary. A suitable iterative method and an efficient convergence criterion are presented here, along with validation tests aimed at simulating total absorption. Both nonlinear wave breaking and total absorption are important for coastal-morphology applications. A test on a domain reproducing a sloping beach has therefore been carried out in order to investigate the behavior of both these iterative techniques when used simultaneously.

In order to examine the effects of finite bandwidth of the incident sea spectrum on the resonance of the articulated storm gates for Venice Lagoon, we consider a narrow band consisting of the carrier frequency and two sidebands. The evolution equation for the gate oscillations now has a time-periodic coefficient, and is equivalent to a non-autonomous dynamical system. For small damping and weak forcing, approximate analysis for local and global bifurcations are carried out, and extended by direct numerical simulation. Typical bifurcation scenarios are also examined by laboratory experiments.

We examine the free surface flow over a fixed bed covered by rigid sinusoidal dunes. The mean current velocity is near the critical value at which the linearized theory predicts unbounded response. By allowing transients we examine the instability of the steady and nonlinear solution of Mei (1969) and the possibility of chaos when the current has a small oscillatory component.

A recent design of storm barriers at the inlets of Venice Lagoon consists of a number of articulated inclined gates hinged on a horizontal axis on the seabed. In laboratory tests with normally incident waves the gates have been found to oscillate at half of the incident wave frequency and out of phase with their immediate neighbours. In this paper we identify the resonance mechanism by first showing the existence of trapped modes as a consequence of the articulated construction. Experimental evidence is shown for the trapped mode and its subharmonic resonance by normally incident waves.

Pressure waves generated by fast seabed movement in weakly compressible sea water, namely hydro-acoustic waves travel at the sound celerity in water (about 1500 m/s). These waves are precursors of the counterpart long free-surface gravity waves and contain significant information on the tsunamigenic source. Measurement of hydro-acoustic waves can therefore anticipate the tsunami arrival and significantly enhance the promptness and accuracy of tsunami early warning systems. In this paper derivation of a novel depth-integrated numerical model for reproduction of hydroacoustic waves is presented and the application of this computationally ecient model on two devastating historical tsunamis of Mediterranean Sea in real bathymetry analyzed to reveal the eect of variable bathymetry. On the basis of the model results, some hints for deep sea observatory are given.

For flood protection against storm tides, barriers of box-like gates hinged along a bottom axis have been designed to span the three inlets of the Venice Lagoon. While on calm days the gates are ballasted to rest horizontally on the seabed, in stormy weather they are raised by buoyancy to act as a dam which is expected to swing to and fro in unison in response to the normally incident sea waves. Previous laboratory experiments with sinusoidal waves have revealed however that neighbouring gates oscillate out of phase, at one half the wave frequency, in a variety of ways, and hence would reduce the effectiveness of the barrier. Extending the linear theory of trapped waves by Mei et al. (1994), we present here a nonlinear theory for subharmonic resonance of mobile gates allowed to oscillate about a vertical plane of symmetry. In this part (1) the evolution equation of the Landau–Stuart type is first derived for the gate amplitude. The effects of gate geometries on the coefficients in the equation are examined. After accounting for dissipation effects semi-empirically the theoretical results on the equilibrium amplitude excited by uniform incident waves are compared with laboratory experiments.

On October 19, 2014 Matteo Miceli, a known Italian oceanic sailor, left the Port of Riva di Traiano (Rome, IT) with the sailboat ECO40, an Italian vessel, for the Roma Ocean World Project. This ambitious challenge consists in a non-stop sailing alone around the World in energy and food self-sufficiency. ECO40 is a Class 40 oceanic vessel (LOA of 12,0 m) that has been equipped with a data acquisition system for both the metocean parameters recorded on-board (i.e. apparent and real wind speed and wind direction, atmospheric pressure, current velocity, air and sea temperature, etc.) and the kinematic characteristics of the boat itself (i.e. speed and course over ground). Furthermore, the boat has been equipped with a three high precision GPS receivers, provided by Leica Geosystem, for measuring the movements of the boat and with an inertial platform. Due to these high-precision instruments it has been possible to fully measure and characterize the six degrees of freedom of the boat, and accordingly to use the boat as a "sailing wave buoy". In this paper we present the first analysis of the met-ocean data measured by the boat during the storm occurred in the Gulf of Lion on October 21-22, 2014 that ECO40 faced just few days after its departure.