Abstract
Abstract The paper presents the results of the research focused on linear and nonlinear wave generation and propagation in a deepwater towing tank equipped with a single flap-type wavemaker of variable draft. The problem of wave generation and propagation has been theoretically formulated and solved by applying an analytical method; linear and nonlinear solutions were obtained. The linear solution has been verified experimentally. The laboratory experiments confirmed that a linear model can be applied to predict the generation and propagation of water waves of low steepness. However, according to the analysis, the discrepancies between wave profiles predicted by applying the linear and nonlinear models rapidly increases with increasing wave steepness. Additionally, the secondary phenomena which occur in the towing tank, including: disintegration of wave profile, wave reflections from the beach and wave damping, were analyzed. Knowledge on the nonlinear processes and phenomena is essential for modeling the environmental conditions during tests carried out to secure the safety of the naval and offshore constructions. The theoretical formulation was derived and the solution was obtained by the Institute of Hydroengineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences IBW PAN while the experimental research was carried out in Ship Hydromechanics Division of the Ship Design and Research Centre CTO S.A.
Highlights
Physical modeling of the ocean hydrodynamics in towing tanks is vital for a sustainable development of naval architecture and offshore sectors
Due to idealization of the theoretical model, particular features of the actual towing tank are not taken into account in the presented formulation, e.g. flow damping between the wavemaker flap and towing tank walls as well as damping in waveguides area
The formulated boundary-value problem was solved by applying an analytical method
Summary
Physical modeling of the ocean hydrodynamics in towing tanks is vital for a sustainable development of naval architecture and offshore sectors. The understanding of the physics of the generation and propagation of nonlinear water waves in a towing tank is of fundamental importance for both scientists and engineers. Numerous theoretical studies were conducted to describe the generation and propagation of waves in a hydrodynamic laboratory. Laboratory experiments carried out in wave flumes confirmed suitability of the linear wave theory to mechanically generated waves of low steepness [19, 5, 9]. Research carried out in the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil in Lisbon, has shown that linear wavemaker theory is correct for regular waves investigated there [2]. The authors indicate that it may arise from nonlinearities and energy losses
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