Modelling of high amplitude internal waves integrating the primitive (Navier–Stokes) equations

In this paper we use an industrial Navier–Stokes (NS) solver to model high amplitude internal waves. The model simulates a fluid with a shallow upper layer with linear stratification and a deep lower layer with constant density, relevant to conditions in the ocean at several locations. Waves are generated by trapping a volume of light water behind a gate in one end of the numerical wave tank. The velocity and vorticity fields predicted by the model agree well with experiment. The high amplitude waves produced by the NS solver experience an upper bound on the velocity and a broadening in agreement with experiment. These effects have not previously been captured by theoretical models.