Murphy Waves Ltd required a detailed assessment of "CFD simulation of a new boardrider" in 2022. The work brought together computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and multiphysics analysis and the project information supplied for this building and construction application. The central objective was to connect local flow, thermal, transport or process behaviour with system-level performance, risk and design decisions that the client could implement.

We evaluated a compact boardrider concept, essentially a shore‑breaker wave generator, to provide consistent ride quality at feasible energy input. Computational fluid dynamics was used to simulate pneumatic wave generation and wave shoaling over sculpted bathymetry, quantifying crest formation, runout and turbulence characteristics that affect rider experience and safety. Several surf‑wave geometries and actuation sequences were compared. A transient free‑surface model captured air and water interaction, with mesh refinement targeted at the breaking region, and verification and sensitivity checks on time step and dissipation controls underpinned the comparisons. Metrics included achievable wave height, repeatability, usable ride window, splash overs and loads on barriers. The recommended configuration produced predictable, rideable waves with a widened operating window and controlled splash while reducing energy per cycle relative to the baseline. The deliverables included clear visuals and time histories linked to performance indicators and practical guidance for nozzle layout, control envelopes and prototype test plans.

The methodology centred on a fully transient free-surface multiphase CFD model of the pneumatic wave-generation system. The representation retained the air chambers or nozzles, tank or lagoon, bathymetry, breaking region, barriers and structures controlling wave creation, shoaling and dissipation. Boundary and operating conditions covered plenum pressures, actuation sequences, duty cycles, geometry variants and the operating envelope required to generate repeatable surfable waves, with material, fluid and equipment properties assigned from the available design information. Resolution was concentrated in regions where steep velocity, thermal, concentration or phase gradients were expected, while the overall model remained efficient enough to compare several credible configurations. This balance allowed system-level performance to be linked to the local mechanisms responsible for it.

The assessment compared pneumatic layout, timing, bathymetry and structural or splash-control refinements, including high-performance-computing parametric studies where required. Performance was judged using wave height, period, crest shape, peel angle, ride length, repeatability, energy per cycle, splash containment and local structural loading. Results were reviewed through quantitative summaries and engineering visualisations, such as contours, vectors, streamlines, sections and time histories, selected to suit the physics. Important assumptions and operating uncertainties were considered so that the recommendations relied on repeatable comparative trends rather than a single nominal case.

For Murphy Waves Ltd, the principal value was a de-risked full-scale or compact wave concept with practical guidance for controls, prototype testing and implementation. The final evidence linked each recommendation to the relevant model or process output, making it suitable for internal design reviews, supplier or contractor discussions and, where applicable, planning, safety or regulatory dialogue. The work also created a reusable baseline that can be updated as geometry, operating data or test results become available, reducing the cost and risk of later design iterations.