Estimation of Wind-Sea and Swell Components in a Bimodal Sea State

2004 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. Ewans ◽  
E. M. Bitner-Gregersen ◽  
C. Guedes Soares

Methods for separating the spectral components and describing bimodal wave spectra are evaluated with reference to wave spectra from directional wave measurements made at the Maui location off the west coast of New Zealand. Two methods involve partitioning bimodal wave spectra into wind-sea and swell components and then fitting a spectral function to each component, while the third assigns an average spectral shape based on the integrated spectral parameters. The partitioning methods involve separating the wave spectrum into two frequency bands: a low-frequency peak, the swell component, and a high-frequency peak, the wind-sea. One partitioning method uses only the frequency spectrum while the other analyzes the complete frequency-direction spectrum. Comparison of the spectral descriptions and derived parameters against the measured counterparts provides insight into the accuracy of the different approaches to describing actual bimodal sea states.

Author(s):  
Ruth Lawford ◽  
Jill Bradon ◽  
Thomas Barberon ◽  
Claude Camps ◽  
Richard Jameson

A full characterisation of the individual components of a sea-state is key to enabling the response of an offshore structure to be accurately calculated. This paper discusses the partitioning of a time series of directional wave spectra into wind-sea and swell components with distinct frequency and direction characteristics. Once the wave data have been partitioned, JONSWAP or Pierson-Moskowitz parameters can be fitted to each spectrum using ‘best-fit’ techniques. The result of the partitioning and fitting analyses is a time series of wave parameters defining the wave spectrum for each component of the sea state. A 10-year site specific time series of directional wave spectra has been partitioned in this way and used in the analysis of the Triton FPSO, a turret moored FPSO in the central North Sea. The representation of the directionality and magnitude of each environmental force acting simultaneously on the vessel, allows the relative heading of the vessel to be determined and the mooring and hydrodynamic analyses to be performed. These analyses provided input to a structural analysis of the FPSO, which resulted in an inspection plan for monitoring the effects of the metocean conditions on the unit.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Edward Jensen ◽  
Val Swail ◽  
Richard Harry Bouchard

AbstractAn intra-measurement evaluation was undertaken, deploying a NOMAD buoy equipped with three National Data Buoy Center and two Environment and Climate Change Canada-AXYS sensor/payload packages off Monterey, California; a Datawell Directional Waverider buoy was deployed within 19 km of the NOMAD site. The six independent wave measurement systems reported hourly estimates of the frequency spectra, and when applicable, the four Fourier directional components. The integral wave parameters showed general agreement among the five sensors compared to the neighboring Datawell Directional Waverider, with the Inclinometer and the Watchman performing similarly to the more sophisticated 3DMG, HIPPY, and Triaxys sensor packages. As the Hm0 increased, all but the Inclinometer were biased low; however, even the Watchman reported reasonable wave measurements up to about 6–7 m, after which the Hm0 becomes negatively biased up to about a meter, comparable to previous studies. The parabolic fit peak spectral wave period, Tpp, results showed a large scatter, resulting from the complex nature of multiple swell wave systems compounded by local wind-sea development, exacerbated by a variable that can be considered as temporally unstable. The three directional sensors demonstrated that NOMAD buoys are capable of measuring directional wave properties along the western US coast, with biases of about 6 to 9 deg, and rms errors of approximately 30 deg. Frequency spectral evaluations found similarities in the shape, but a significant under estimation in the high frequency range. The results from slope analyses also revealed a positive bias in the rear face of the spectra, and a lack of invariance in frequency as suggested by theory.


1988 ◽  
Vol 1 (21) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Tetsunori Ohshimo ◽  
Kosuke Kondo ◽  
Tsunehiro Sekimoto

Field investigations were performed in order to show the effect of wave diffraction by breakwaters through directional wave spectra measurements in a harbor, and to estimate the reflection coefficient by resolving the incident and reflected wave energy in front of a composite type breakwater. Combinations of an ultrasonic wave gage (USW) and an electromagnetic current meter (EMC) were used to measure the synchronized data of the water surface elevation and two horizontal velocities. The EMLM (Extended Maximum Likelihood Method) was applied for the calculation of the directional wave spectrum, and the modified EMLM for an incident and reflection wave field was applied for the estimation of the reflection coefficient. Through the estimated directional wave spectra, the effect of wave diffraction by breakwaters were discussed and the reflection coefficient was estimated at about 0.9. As a result, the applicability of the field investigation method and the modified EMLM were verified.


Author(s):  
Joa˜o V. Sparano ◽  
Eduardo A. Tannuri ◽  
Alexandre N. Simos ◽  
Vini´cius L. F. Matos

The practicability of estimating directional wave spectra based on a vessel 1st order response has been recently addressed by several researchers. The interest is justified since on-board estimations would only require only a simple set of accelerometers and rate-gyros connected to an ordinary PC. The on-board wave inference based on 1st order motions is therefore an uncomplicated and inexpensive choice for wave estimation if compared to wave buoys and radar systems. The latest works in the field indicate that it is indeed possible to obtain accurate estimations and a Bayesian inference model seems to be the preferable method adopted for performing this task. Nevertheless, most of the previous analysis has been based exclusively on numerical simulations. At Polytechnic School, an extensive research program supported by Petrobras has been conducted since 2000, aiming to evaluate the possibility of estimating wave spectrum on-board offshore systems, like FPSO platforms. In this context, a series of small-scale tests has been performed at the LabOceano wave basin, comprising long and short crested seas. A possible candidate for on-board wave estimation has been recently studied: a crane barge (BGL) used for launching ducts offshore Brazil. The 1:48 model has been subjected to bow and quartering seas with different wave heights and periods and also different levels of directional spreading. A Bayesian inference method was adopted for evaluating the wave spectra based on the time-series of motions and the results were directly compared to the wave spectra measured in the basin by means of an array of wave probes. Very good estimations of the statistical parameters (significant wave height, peak period and mean wave direction) were obtained and, in most cases, even the directional spreading could be properly predicted. Inversion of the mean direction (180° shift), mentioned by some authors as a possible drawback of the Bayesian inference method, was not observed in any case. Sensitivity analysis on errors in the input parameters, such as the vessel inertial characteristics, has also been performed and attested that the method is robust enough to cope well with practical uncertainties. Overall results once again indicate a good performance of the inference method, providing an important additional validation supported by a large set of model tests.


1963 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Hasselmann

The energy transfer due to non-linear interactions between the components of a gravity-wave spectrum discussed in Parts 1 and 2 of this paper is evaluated for a fully and partially developed Neumann spectrum with various spreading factors. The characteristic time scales of the energy transfer are found to be typically of the order of a few hours. In all cases the high frequencies and the low-frequency peak are found to gain energy from an intermediate range of frequencies. The transfer of energy to very low frequencies and to waves travelling at large angles to the main propagation direction of the spectrum is negligible. Computations are presented also for the rate of decay of swell interacting with local wind-generated seas (represented by a Neumann spectrum). An appreciable decay is found only for swell frequencies in the same range as those of the local sea.


2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuji Waseda ◽  
Takeshi Kinoshita ◽  
Hitoshi Tamura

Abstract The evolution of a random directional wave in deep water was studied in a laboratory wave tank (50 m long, 10 m wide, 5 m deep) utilizing a directional wave generator. A number of experiments were conducted, changing the various spectral parameters (wave steepness 0.05 < ɛ < 0.11, with directional spreading up to 36° and frequency bandwidth 0.2 < δk/k < 0.6). The wave evolution was studied by an array of wave wires distributed down the tank. As the spectral parameters were altered, the wave height statistics change. Without any wave directionality, the occurrence of waves exceeding twice the significant wave height (the freak wave) increases as the frequency bandwidth narrows and steepness increases, due to quasi-resonant wave–wave interaction. However, the probability of an extreme wave rapidly reduces as the directional bandwidth broadens. The effective Benjamin–Feir index (BFIeff) is introduced, extending the BFI (the relative magnitude of nonlinearity and dispersion) to incorporate the effect of directionality, and successfully parameterizes the observed occurrence of freak waves in the tank. Analysis of the high-resolution hindcast wave field of the northwest Pacific reveals that such a directionally confined wind sea with high extreme wave probability is rare and corresponds mostly to a swell–wind sea mixed condition. Therefore, extreme wave occurrence in the sea as a result of quasi-resonant wave–wave interaction is a rare event that occurs only when the wind sea directionality is extremely narrow.


1984 ◽  
Vol 1 (19) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Gaillard

A method of calculation of the combined effects of wave refraction, diffraction and reflection in harbours of arbitrary shape and non uniform water depth, subject to periodic or random waves is presented. Examples of application are given and practical aspects on the wave spectrum discretisation are considered.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 900
Author(s):  
Yuhan Cao ◽  
Chunyan Li ◽  
Changming Dong

Atmospheric cold front-generated waves play an important role in the air–sea interaction and coastal water and sediment transports. In-situ observations from two offshore stations are used to investigate variations of directional waves in the coastal Louisiana. Hourly time series of significant wave height and peak wave period are examined for data from 2004, except for the summer time between May and August, when cold fronts are infrequent and weak. The intra-seasonal scale variations in the wavefield are significantly affected by the atmospheric cold frontal events. The wave fields and directional wave spectra induced by four selected cold front passages over the coastal Louisiana are discussed. It is found that significant wave height generated by cold fronts coming from the west change more quickly than that by other passing cold fronts. The peak wave direction rotates clockwise during the cold front events. The variability of the directional wave spectrum shows that the largest spectral density is distributed at low frequency in the postfrontal phase associated with migrating cyclones (MC storms) and arctic surges (AS storms).


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (S313) ◽  
pp. 91-92
Author(s):  
T. Pursimo ◽  
R. Ojha ◽  
E. Ferrara ◽  
F. Acero ◽  
H. Johnston ◽  
...  

AbstractThe majority of Fermi-LAT detected (2FGL) sources are AGN, mostly blazars. However, the second largest category in the 2FGL are unassociated sources (~30% or 575 sources), whose multi-wavelength counterpart is either inconclusive or absent. Follow-up observations and archival data at X-ray, optical, and radio frequencies suggest that many unassociated 2FGL sources are strong candidates to be AGN. Typical observed characteristics of 2FGL detected AGN include variability at all frequencies and a spectral energy distribution (SED) with two “bumps”; a low-frequency synchrotron peak in the radio to optical/X-ray region and a high-frequency peak, possibly due to synchrotron self-Compton or Inverse Compton processes, that extends up to TeV energies. We present optical follow-up observations of a sample of Fermi unassociated sources with one or more potential X-ray counterparts detected within the LAT error circle.


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