Interaction of swell and sea waves with partially reflective structures for possible engineering applications

In this work, we investigate the interaction between the combination of wind-driven and regular waves and a chamber defined by a rigid wall and a thin vertical semi-submerged barrier. A series of laboratory experiments were performed with different values of incident wave height, wave period, and wind speed. The analysis focuses on the effect of the geometry of the system characterized in terms of its relative submergence d/h and relative width B/L. Results show that for the case of d/h = 0.58 a resonant effect takes place inside the chamber regardless of the wind speed. Wind-driven waves have a higher influence on the variation of the wave period of the waves seaward and leeward of the plate, as well as on the phase lag. Results show that the amplification or reduction of the wave energy inside the chamber is closely related to the wave period as compared to the 1st order natural period of the chamber.