During berthing operations, the bow thruster jet reflecting on the quay wall and the bed can lead to high flow velocities near the bed. This may scour the nearby bed when it is left unprotected, causing instability of the adjacent quay wall. Due to the complex flow field of the reflected jet, the decay in near-bed flow velocities perpendicular to the quay wall is unknown. Resulting in uncertainties in the design of bed protections, especially in the required width.
In this research, the decay of the near-bed flow velocity in x- and y-direction to the quay wall induced by a 4-channel bow thruster is researched. Field measurements have been conducted with one of the largest inland vessels in the Netherlands. The flow velocities near the bed have been measured with Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADV), and Ott meters (Ott) at multiple locations perpendicular to the quay wall.
