ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: A harbor is a water area partially enclosed by breakwaters and thus protected from storm-generated waves and currents. It also provides safe and suitable accommodation for vessels seeking refuge, supplies, refueling, repairs, and transfer of cargo. Because of these protective structures, only small local waves or generated waves are active, but in a weakened form. The discharge entering into the port basin depends on tidal streams and weather conditions. In the near-bottom layer of a port, the water movement greatly depends on the discharge energy in the upper layers, as well as on the changes in the water flow caused by roughness. These water flows are mainly connected with the displacement speed of the sediments, and may adversely affect the smooth operations of the port. Hence a thorough assessment of hydrodynamics is necessary to evaluate the effect of a port development on the prevailing currents. The proposed port of Vizhinjam, India, was studied in this paper using the Delft3D-FLOW module for the formulation and modeling of hydrodynamic behavior. This study mainly analyzed the pattern of water flux entering and leaving the basin area in different seasons; this information can be used to help in the future planning of the port. The study results indicated that the breakwater considerably reduced the amount of water in and out of the port in any situation, and also the wave height within the harbor area.
