Higher harmonics induced by a submerged horizontal plate and a submerged rectangular step in a wave flume

The decomposition of a monochromatic wave over a submerged plate is investigated experimentally in a wave flume. Bound and free higher harmonic modes propagating upstream and downstream the structure are discriminated by means of moving resistive probes. The first-order analysis shows a resonant behaviour linked to the ratio of the plate's width and the fundamental mode wavelength over the plate. The second-order analysis shows an energy transfer from the fundamental mode towards free harmonics propagating downstream the structure. This transfer is linked to the ratio of the width of the plate and the bound harmonic wavelength over the plate. We also performed experiments with a submerged step to compare the efficiency of both structures. The submerged plate is shown to be a more efficient breakwater than the step, at the first as well as the second-order.