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Abstract
The term “artificial reefs“ is being used today by many researchers to refer to a variety of submerged
structures. Partial analysis can be used as a guideline to formulate a model law before physical modelling
of artificial reefs is conducted. However, when dealing with densimetric phenomena such as developing a
stability number for artificial reefs, a great care should be taken in using any dimensionless parameter as a
basis for formulating a model law. This paper describes the matrix method as an example of partial
analysis and using it to solve the problem in physical modelling of artificial reefs. A discussion on the
scaling the weight of hemispherical shape reefs is also given.
Introduction
Breakwaters, as example of coastal structures,
are usually adopted to protect and stabilize the
coastal area from the effect of waves and other
hydrodynamic forces. They are generally built
as water surface piercing structures, parallel to
the shore with crests above high water. Some
structures are designed to reflect wave energy,
while other structures attempt to decrease most
wave energy through wave breaking and
dissipation upon and within a permeable
structure.
Figure 1. Typical Hemispherical Artificial Reef
Submerged type breakwaters which their crest
below the water surface are being considered The complexities of the flow such as turbulent
more frequently as a ‘soft’ solution in solving flow occur in the vicinity of the reefs as well as
coastal engineering problems due to their breaking waves in the surface above. A rigorous
enhanced environmental attributes and or complete analysis is insufficient, when
economic advantage (Ahrens, 1987). Those dealing with complicated natural phenomena
breakwaters are called as low crested such as physical modelling of artificial reefs
breakwaters, submerged breakwaters, reef Therefore, to examine the wave breaking
breakwaters, or artificial reefs (Harris, 1995). phenomena and the turbulence around the
submerged body, partial analysis is utilized to
The popularity and different beneficial uses of
assess and describe the water phenomenon and
artificial reefs are growing rapidly. Various
establish the dimensionless stability number of
artificial reefs have been used to attract fish by
reefs.
producing coherent eddies with upward flow as
well as by providing hiding places for fish such Since the variables involved are fairly large, a
as “SAB Chamber Structure” model(6). Most of matrix analysis is used to solve the problem.
these reefs have rectangular shapes and caused After describing the matrix method as an
tearing of fishing nets. To reduce the tearing of example of partial analysis and using it to obtain
fishing nets, hemispherically shape reefs were dimensionless numbers (π-terms) in physical
proposed as alternatives, such as Cylinders modelling of artificial reefs, this paper will
shape, Turtle Block, and Reef Ball™ (Mottet, discuss the scaling of the weight of
1981; Barber, 2001) as shown in Figure 1. hemispherical shape reefs.
Partial Analysis By partitioning the matrix above into matrices A
and B, a matrix C can be obtained since A is
There are three basic methods of partial nonsingular matrix, where:
analysis: dimensional analysis, similitude
analysis or the methods of force ratios, and the C = A-1 .B …(4)
method of governing equations. Each provide
incomplete answer and the end results are a1 1 a1 2 a13 a14 g g a1n
usually a dimensionless functional suitable for A = a21 a22 a23 , B = a24 g g a2 n
planning experimental studies (Sharp, 1981). a31 a32 a3 3 a34 g g a3 n
Although dimensional analysis does not give a
complete answer to problem, it gives a guide to
the way in which an experimental study should c11 g g c1k
be conducted, and then fairly complete and C = c2 1 g g c2 k …(5)
c31 g g c3 k
definition of the physical laws governing a
system under investigation can be obtained by
interpreting experimental results. Subscript k in the element of matrix C above
Some approaches are available in dimensional refers to the number of dimensionless variables.
analysis, such as Rayleigh’s Method, Bucking- In this case k = n – 3, as only three dimensions
ham’s Method and Matrix Method. All these are involved, namely, L, T and M.
methods provide an approach by which a Finally, with x1, x2, and x3 as the repeating
physical system is described in terms of the variables, an ith π-term is obtained by the
appropriate variables x (i = 1,2,3…n) and these
i
following relation:
variables are composed in terms of dimension-
less. For instance, there is a physical system that xi
can be described as a typical equation such as: πi = c1 i c c
(6)
( x1 ) ( x2 ) 2 i ( x3 ) 3 i
f (x1 , x2 , x3 , …, xn ) = 0 …(1)
Subscript i refers to the element of matrix C; i =
This equation can be reduced to another (1,2,3…k ), and the superscript c in the
functional relationship in the form of: denominator of the equation (6) refers to the
φ (π , π , π ,… π ) = 0
1 2 3 k …(2) element of the matrix C in equation (5).
A dimensionless equation such as equation (2)
where k < n (k, n ∈I) and π (1,2,3,…k) is a non-
i