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Abstract

A two-dimensional two-phase flow framework for fluid- sediment flow simulation in the surf and swash zones was described. Propagation, breaking, uprush and backwash of waves on sloping beaches were studied numerically with an emphasis on fluid hydrodynamics and sediment transport characteristics. The model includes interactive fluid- solid forces and intergranular stresses in the moving sediment layer. In the Euler-Euler approach, two phases were defined using the Navier-Stokes equations with interphase coupling for momentum conservation. The k-ε closure model and Volume- Of-Fluid approach were used to describe the turbulence and tracking of the free surface, respectively. Numerical simulations explored incident wave conditions, specifically spilling and plunging breakers, on both dissipative and intermediate beaches. It was found that the spatial variation of sediment concentration in the swash zone is asymmetric, while the temporal behavior is characterized by maximum sediment concentrations at the start and end of the swash cycle. The numerical results also indicated that the maximum turbulent kinetic energy and sediment flux occurs near the wave breaking point. These predictions are in general agreement with previous observations, while the model describes the fluid and sediment phase characteristics in much more detail than existing measurements. With direct quantifications of velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, sediment concentration and flux, the model provides a useful approach to improve mechanistic understanding of hydrodynamic and sediment transport in the nearshore zone.

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