Wave absorption

In the case of water waves, wave absorption means the swallowing of part of their energy on a structure ( breakwater , bank wall , embankment revetment ) and thus weakening of their intensity when passing through or crossing a structure or when hitting the building surface. The energy of the absorbed part is converted into turbulence and heat. Since the energy of an approaching monochromatic wave is proportional to the wave height square, the proportion of wave absorption can also be specified in the form of a height square from the following balance equation: ${\displaystyle E_{i}}$ ${\displaystyle H_{i}^{2}}$ ${\displaystyle H_{a}^{2}}$

${\displaystyle H_{i}^{2}=H_{t}^{2}+H_{r}^{2}+H_{a}^{2}}$

In it mean

• ${\displaystyle H_{i}}$ = Height of the approaching waves
• ${\displaystyle H_{t}}$ = Height of the waves transmitted (transmitted) through the structure
• ${\displaystyle H_{r}}$ = Height of the waves reflected on the structure
• ${\displaystyle H_{a}}$ = the height equivalent to the wave absorption.

Wave absorption is to be distinguished from resonance absorption in the interaction of wind waves with partially standing waves in a basin formation.