Analytical Model of Inlet Growth and Equilibrium Cross-Sectional Area

Abstract

PURPOSE: This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) focuses on inlet stability theory in the context of quantifying the conditions responsible for inlet growth, maintenance, or collapse. The theoretical underpinnings are drawn from the classic Escoffier (1940) inlet stability analysis to produce a new quadratic formula derived from simplified momentum and conservation equations describing maximum inlet flow velocity. While the models give similar results, they are formulated using different simplifying assumptions and thus encompass a broader range of theoretical alternatives to investigate inlet stability. The quadratic formula provides quantitative estimates of equilibrium cross-sectional area and depth and can be used to investigate the low-order dynamics of barrier island inlets, including breaches and other constricted flow regions that are driven by tidal forcing.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2016
Accession Number
AD1007542

Entities

People

  • Richard Styles

Organizations

  • United States Army Corps of Engineers

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Barrier Islands
  • Boundaries
  • Boundary Layer
  • Civil Engineering
  • Coastal Engineering
  • Databases
  • Drag
  • Energy
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Equations
  • Grain Size
  • New York
  • Sedimentation
  • Skin Friction
  • Tidal Currents
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Coastal and Marine Engineering/Sediment Transport/Hydraulic Engineering
  • Systems Analysis and Design