ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we will review the fundamentals of hydrodynamics, especially those closely related to water waves. The review will start from the NSEs, which are the general equations that govern the motion of fluids. The potential flow theory will then be deduced from the equations with the assumption of irrotational flow and negligible viscous effect. This will build up the theoretical background for water wave theories, which will be detailed in Chapter 3. Under certain environmental conditions (e.g., waves under strong winds
and waves in shoaling), waves become unstable and break. It is during this process that strong turbulence is generated. Turbulence can also be generated during wave-structure interaction. The solution to these challenging problems requires appropriate turbulence modeling. In this chapter, we will also review most of the commonly used turbulence closure models whose advantages, limitations, and applicable ranges are discussed.
