Wave Tank Research Articles

Wave Pressure and Wave Height Distribution around Seawall Structure Constructed by an Array of TSP Circular Piles

An analytic solution for the interaction between an array of circular piles made by joining trapezoid steel pipes (TSP) and waves was obtained using an eigenfunction expansion method. First, an analytic model for the wave scattering of multiple piles fixed at arbitrary positions was derived, and then a simplified model was obtained assuming that an infinite array of identical piles were deployed perpendicular to the propagating direction of incident waves. A regular wave experiment was conducted using an experimental model with a scale ratio of 1/100 in a two-dimensional wave tank to verify the analytic solutions. The analytic results and experimental results were qualitatively consistent with each other. Using a developed analytic model, we examined the wave force on the multiple piles and the wave deformation in front of the arrayed piles. The period for the installation is greatly reduced as the TSP pile can be prefabricated in a factory. In particular, it is possible to install at the soft seabed. A seawall structure using arrayed TSP piles will be an ideal complement for a concrete seawall in future.

Wave attenuation by intertidal vegetation is mediated by trade‐offs between shoot‐ and canopy‐scale plant traits

Abstract Nature‐based solutions, through conservation or (re)creation of vegetated shorelines, are recognized to mitigate the impact of waves and erosion risks on shorelines. Wave attenuation is known to be dependent on plant traits, resulting in increasing wave attenuation rates with increasing shoot density, shoot thickness, height, and stiffness. However, following the allometric scaling theory, we hypothesize that increasing shoot density (a canopy‐scale trait) may be associated with decreasing shoot thickness and stiffness (a shoot‐scale trait), with potential opposing effects on overall wave attenuation. This study investigates (1) the presence of such allometric relations across intertidal shore plant species via existing literature and (2) the trade‐off effects on the overall wave attenuation capacity of shore vegetation through a flume experiment. Our results reveal for the first time the presence of allometric relationships between shoot‐scale and canopy‐scale plant properties in perennial intertidal plant species. Across different species, increasing shoot densities are indeed associated with decreasing shoot thickness and shoot stiffness. Next, we performed a wave flume experiment with plant mimics, showing that wave attenuation rate follows a logarithmic increase with increasing shoot density, even though the increasing shoot density was associated with thinner and more flexible individual shoots. Synthesis and applications. We conclude that wave attenuation is predominantly governed by canopy‐scale properties, but a trade‐off with shoot‐scale properties mediates the overall wave attenuation capacity of the vegetated shore. Our findings imply that nature‐based projects (re‐)creating vegetated shorelines should account for potential trade‐off effects of species‐specific plant traits at the canopy scale and individual shoot scale.

Predicting heave and pitch motions of an FPSO using meta-learning

Real-time motion prediction is helpful in guaranteeing the operation stability of a Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) unit. Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are becoming feasible alternatives to numerical simulations for motion prediction as artificial intelligence develops rapidly. In this study, model-agnostic meta-learning (MAML) is combined with RNNs to deterministically predict the heave and pitch motions of a ship-shaped FPSO. This approach is motivated by the fact that MAML improves training efficiency without losing accuracy. The data came from a scaled model test conducted at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s deepwater wave basin. Before introducing MAML, we verified that long short-term memory (LSTM) and gated recurrent unit (GRU) could accurately predict the heave and pitch of about 7.68 s into the future. With fewer learnable parameters than LSTM, GRU demonstrates slightly better accuracy. Therefore, this study focuses particularly on the combination of GRU and MAML. The parameters of MAML, including order of derivative, step size, number of adaption gradient updates, and batch size of the tasks, are evaluated systemically in terms of accuracy and training efficiency. With the assistance of MAML, GRU’s training efficiency for heave and pitch has significantly improved, increasing by approximately 65% and 55%, respectively. Meanwhile, the prediction error for both has decreased by about 10%. Notably, MAML’s performance is minimally affected by variations in incoming wave direction and sea state, as well as the randomness and temporal variability of the motion. MAML is a powerful tool that enables RNNs to achieve real-time prediction of FPSO motion.

A numerical model for assessing the effect of low clay content on wave-induced seabed liquefaction

In the marine environment, the seabed contains a certain amount of clay. Experimental studies show that the liquefaction susceptibility of the sandy seabed increases as clay content (CC) rises to a certain threshold, beyond which further increases in CC reduce liquefaction susceptibility. However, numerical models that describe the effect of CC on seabed liquefaction are very limited. This study proposed a dynamic poro-elasto-plastic finite element method model for analyzing liquefaction in the sandy seabed with CC below the threshold. Based on a series of undrained triaxial compression tests on sand-clay mixtures from existing literature, a unified constitutive framework was demonstrated to be effective for describing the liquefaction behavior of sand with low CC using one set of model parameters. Existing wave flume model tests validated the effectiveness of the proposed seabed model in describing the effect of low CC on excess pore water pressure (EPWP). Numerical results confirmed that adding a small amount of clay to the seabed increased the soil contraction and thus its liquefaction susceptibility. Wave-induced liquefaction was limited to a certain depth of the seabed, and the liquefaction depth was significantly affected by the CC. Adding a low content of clay the sandy seabed significantly increased both horizontal and vertical displacements under wave action, potentially leading to the instability of the seabed. This study provides a new method for accurately assessing the wave-induced stability of marine structures built on the sandy seabed containing certain amounts of clay.

Floating solar power loss due to motions induced by ocean waves: An experimental study

Whilst there is an interest in floating solar energy systems in coastal and offshore regions to utilise available sea space, they are subject to ocean waves that introduce constant momentum. Consequently, solar panels undergo periodic motions with the waves, causing a continuous change in tilt angle. The tilt angle variation is a sub-optimal process and leads to a loss of energy harnessing efficiency. To investigate this phenomenon, the present study innovatively installed a solar simulator on top of a wave tank. The solar simulator was used to generate high-strength light beams, under which, a floating solar unit was subject to periodic incident waves. Wave-induced motions to the solar system as well as the output power were measured. A systematic analysis of the results indicated that a floating solar unit can have significantly lower power output in waves, compared to its calm-water counterpart. An evident link was established between the wave-induced power loss and the wave-induced rotational movement of the panel. An empirical equation was derived which shows the power loss is predictable through the rotational amplitude. The results also highlight the importance of implementing wave attenuation technologies such as breakwaters to minimise wave-induced motions to floating solar systems. Overall, this research presents a novel experimental approach to assess the difference of floating solar power in ocean-wave versus calm-water scenarios, providing valuable insights for future solar projects on the ocean.

Rainbow trapping and concentration of surface waves on broad waveguide

Abstract In recent years, topological insulators have been widely designed to manipulate various types of classical waves. The topological edge states characterized by defect and backscattering immunity show great application potential in energy harvesting. This work reports a spin-locked topological surface wave channel, which consists of concrete-filled steel tubes (CFST) placed on foundation soil. Here, the distance between the lattice and the center of the CFST controls the hopping strength between adjacent atoms, determining the topological phase transition. Introducing the surface wave crystal with Dirac cones in the interface, then the robust broad waveguide modes of phononic heterostructure are explored. Notably, incorporating the rainbow effect allows for precise regulation and reliable concentration within the broad waveguide. The proposed broad waveguide surpasses traditional waveguides by simultaneously focusing and segregating energy, enabling applications in low-frequency energy harvesting, sensing, and logic gates. Our work will provide an efficient recovery platform for daily vibration energy, especially for vehicle loads.

Evaluation of hydrodynamic coefficients and sensitivity analysis of a work-class remotely operated vehicle using planar motion mechanism tests

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the hydrodynamic forces and moments relating to the drag on an open-frame work-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) AUTO-1000. We describe the results of planar motion mechanism experiments conducted with the aim of modeling and simplifying the mathematical maneuverability model for such an ROV. The scale of the model is 1:4. Various experiments are performed in a nonlinear wave channel. The flow speeds in the static drag tests range from ±0.2–±0.5 m/s and the angle in the drift tests is less than 10°. The motion frequencies of the dynamic tests range from 0.25 to 3.14 rad/s. The amplitude of the translation motions is 0.03 m and the largest angular amplitude in the rolling tests is 5°. The viscous and inertial hydrodynamic coefficients are estimated. Normalized sensitivity coefficients are used to investigate the sensitivity of both the viscous and inertial hydrodynamic coefficients considering the multi-degree-of-freedom motion and velocity effect. The drag, drift, and stationary random motions are used to examine the sensitivity. A comparison of the motion simulation results given by simplified and complete models shows that a threshold normalized sensitivity coefficient value of 0.01 is suitable for filtering the ROV coefficients.

Verification and validation of a numerical wave tank with momentum source wave generation

Verification and validation of a numerical wave tank with momentum source wave generation

Real-time Wells turbine simulation on an oscillating-water-column wave energy converter physical model

Due to its simplicity and low cost, the Wells turbine is the most common choice for driving oscillating-water-column (OWC) wave energy converters (WECs) power take-off system. This turbine is characterized by a flow rate that is a linear function of the pressure head and inversely proportional to the rotational speed before the onset of hard stall conditions. The Wells turbine has been simulated in wave tanks using porous plugs, where the flow rate exhibits linear behaviour. However, numerical and experimental results have shown that rotational speed variations significantly influence the performance of OWC WECs. This work aims to develop a novel real-time simulator of a Wells turbine for use in physical models of OWC power plants. The proposed simulator consists of a diaphragm whose diameter is adjusted in real-time as a function of the pressure head measured in the laboratory and the rotational speed calculated by a hardware-in-the-loop model. In this way, it is possible to reproduce the full behaviour of the Wells turbine before and after a hard stall. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the simulator. A performance analysis was conducted to understand the device’s potential and compare the damping that Wells and impulse turbines introduce.

Study of effects of perforation layouts on wave energy dissipation caused by a submerged perforated breakwater in front of a vertical seawall

Perforated structures are a promising alternative to traditional breakwaters for constructing harbors and protecting coastlines. Perforated structures can effectively remove wave energy from ocean waves by the energy dissipation associated with the turbulence generated by the flow through the perforations in the structure. Understanding the factors that may affect the hydrodynamic characteristics of flow through a perforated plate is important for designing perforated marine structures. The purpose of this research was to determine the wave energy dissipation performance of thin-walled plates with various perforation configurations using OpenFOAM-based CFD simulation. Ten different plate configurations were designed and tested with a constant porosity while varying the distribution, shape, and size of the perforations, to determine the impacts to energy dissipation performance. The energy dissipation was quantified by CFD simulations of wave-interaction with a submerged perforated plate placed vertically in front of a vertical backwall (“seawall”). Physical wave flume experiments were also conducted to verify and validate the numerical models. The results showed that the perforation distribution, shape, and size play a minimal role in the energy dissipation performance when porosity is held constant. The minimal performance deviation between the perforation configurations was consistent across a range of wave periods and amplitudes.

Characteristics of wave loading and viscous energy loss of a bottom-sitting U-OWC wave energy device: A validated numerical perspective

This study involves numerical simulations of regular waves interacting with a bottom-sitting circular OWC wave energy converter with a U-shaped duct (circular U-OWC). A numerical wave tank is built based on the RANS equation and is validated against experiments. The effect of water depth and the height of the outer tube of the U-shaped duct on capture efficiency, wave loading, and viscous energy loss is investigated numerically. Results show that the height of the outer tube of the U-shaped duct has a significant effect on the capture efficiency of the device. Wave loading analysis reveals a critical mode of stability that may threaten the operation safety of the device. It is found that increasing the height of the U-shaped duct opening increases the viscous energy loss inside the U-shaped duct. A semi-theoretical model between work done by waves to the device and the viscous energy loss in the U-shaped duct is established, numerical data indicates that a significant amount of work done by waves to the device is lost in viscous effects. This suggests that certain optimization for reducing wave loading could possibly also reduce viscous energy loss, thus improving the overall efficiency of the device.

Numerical investigation of triadic interactions during wave propagation over a submerged bar using a fully nonlinear numerical wave tank

This study models wave propagation over a submerged trapezoidal bar problem with a Higher Order Boundary Element Method (HOBEM) based on a two-dimensional fully nonlinear numerical wave tank (NWT). A Mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian technique is implemented, and the NWT is validated using the experimental results available from the existing literature. A numerical investigation is conducted on the individual wave harmonics as it propagates across the numerical wave tank over the submerged bar. The amplitude spectrum is obtained from the time histories of wave elevation across the tank at various locations over the trapezoidal bar and compared with the experimental results. The redistribution of the energy spectrum across the domain is recorded as the regular long wave propagates and undergoes deformations because of shoaling followed by de-shoaling. This phenomenon is investigated using a higher-order statistical analysis method viz. Bispectrum. The mechanics of the redistribution of energy among the harmonics is quantified through bispectrum analysis. Further, regular and irregular wave propagation over the submerged bar in the presence of the following and opposing currents is simulated. The effect of current is studied using the amplitude spectrum and the harmonic interaction for each case is compared using bispectrum analysis.

Experimental investigation of flow and sediment transport on an equilibrium beach formed by surging breaker

Flow patterns and sediment transport induced by breaking waves on a beach profile have been studied in a laboratory wave flume. Two parallel experiments were conducted on the same profiled rigid bed and sediment (mobile) bed, each subjected to identical wave forcing. The rigid bed experiments include measurements of bed shear stress and water-surface elevation, while the sediment bed experiments involve the measurement of pore-water pressures. The beach profile features a beach step leading to the generation of a hydraulic jump at the end of the rundown phase and accordingly forms a backwash vortex. The bed shear stress measurements revealed that the maximum onshore directed mean bed shear stress occurs after the wave breaking whereas the offshore directed one occurs during rundown at the same section. The increase of the bed shear stress with respect to that in the approaching wave boundary layer during the wave breaking and hydraulic jump processes can be by as much as a factor of 13 and 4, respectively. The effect of the wave breaking on turbulence is also more pronounced by a factor of 2.2 than the hydraulic jump in terms of r.m.s values of the fluctuating component of the bed shear stress. The pore pressure measurements showed that the vortex generated during the wave breaking creates an impulsive, upward-directed pressure gradient force that can be up to 1.2 times the submerged weight of the sediment. The sediment transport occurs in the sheet flow regime in a large part of the beach profile. The turbulence generated by the backwash vortex and the hydraulic jump at the beach step directly impacts the local sediment suspension which serves as the source for the advected sediment in the swash zone. The results are compared with a previous study that used the same methodology but involved plunging waves and the initial bed profile.

Wave energy converter with multiple degrees of freedom for sustainable repurposing of decommissioned offshore platforms: An experimental study

Targeting at the sustainable repurposing of decommissioned offshore platforms, a novel wave energy converter with a distinct mechanical-motion-rectifier power take-off system is developed to provide renewable energy. A scaled prototype is constructed and experimentally investigated in a large wave tank, as an essential step before sea trials. A new phenomenon of parametric oscillation is observed and explored, as physical evidence of chaotic instabilities of wave energy devices. Several advantages of the multi-degree-of-freedom device over its single-degree-of-freedom counterpart are disclosed physically for the first time. Releasing the pitch and roll degrees of freedom helps enlarge the heave amplitude of the energy-absorbing buoy, receive a larger hydrodynamic force from water waves to the power take-off system, reduce structural deflection and friction of the transmission machinery, and eliminate spiky and noisy vibrations of the internal force. Accordingly, the maximum efficiencies in the energy absorption and transmission stages increase from 45% and 11% to 90% and 30%, respectively; the overall efficiency of energy conversion is increased by up to three times in a broad spectrum of wave conditions.

Comparative study of dynamic characteristics between a FHAWT and a helical type FVAWT

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are a growing area of interest, with significant ongoing research work and commercial development. There are two types of FOWT, namely floating horizontal axis wind turbine (FHAWT) and floating vertical axis wind turbine (FVAWT). It has been a long-standing debate on which type of FOWT has better technical and economic performance. However, the research work on comparative study of these two types of FOWT is very rare. In this study, we aim to systematically evaluate the performance of FHAWT and FVAWT, with particular focus on comparing their dynamic characteristics by using coupled numerical models. Tank testing for these two types of FOWT was conducted at the wave basin, and a series of code-to-experiment comparisons were carried out to validate the numerical models. Afterwards, dynamic characteristics, including the control strategy, aerodynamic power, floater motions, tower base bending moments, and blade deformations, are compared between the FHAWT and helical type FVAWT. Results show that the FHAWT presents better performance on the aerodynamic performance and tower base bending moments, while the helical type FVAWT has the advantage of minimal blade deformations.

Hydrodynamics of fluid resonance in a narrow gap between two boxes with different breadths

Violent fluid oscillations occur inside narrow gaps between closely side-by-side structures, threating the safety of the operations. In the current study, fluid resonance in the gap between two side-by-side different boxes is investigated by a two-dimensional viscous-flow numerical wave tank, which can simultaneously predict the viscous damping and free-surface nonlinearity. The accuracy of the established numerical model is fore validated by the published experimental data. The upstream box keeps fixed and has six varied breadths, the downstream box heaves freely under wave actions and remains a constant breadth. The current work aims to study the effects of the breadth ratio and heave motion of the lee-side box on the hydrodynamics of gap resonance. The wave amplification in the gap, the heave motions of the lee-side box, the reflection, transmission, and energy loss coefficients, and the response time and damping time are concerned. Results show that the gap resonance frequency is insensitive to the variation of the breadth ratio. As the breadth ratio increases from 0.4 to 1.4. The maximum wave height amplification in the gap reduces more than 25%. The maximum response time of the fluid resonance occurs when two boxes have equal breadth.

Research on the ice-resistance performance of conical wind turbine foundation in brash ice fields

Due to the significantly higher wind energy density in high-latitude sea areas compared to other regions, the construction of offshore wind farms is shifting towards these areas. However, in high-latitude sea areas, large amounts of sea ice float on the surface during winter, making ice loads a critical factor affecting the structural safety of wind turbines. For monopile flexible wind turbines, installing an ice-breaking cone near the waterline is an effective measure to withstand the threat of sea ice. To clarify the ice resistance performance of conical wind turbine foundations in brash ice zones, this study proposes a coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM). This method is used to calculate the ice load results for a cylindrical riser, and the results were found to be in good agreement with the ice load experiment results from China University of Petroleum's wave flume (CUPWF). This validation confirms the rationality of the method. Taking a 5 MW monopile wind turbine installed with an ice-breaking cone as the research object, the time history of dynamic ice loads and the displacement response of ice-induced vibration during the interaction between the wind turbine and brash ice are simulated. Considering the water level variations caused by tides, the differences in ice resistance performance between the upright cone and the inverted cone of the ice-breaking cone are analyzed. Finally, the impact of changes in cone angle on the ice resistance performance of the wind turbine foundation is determined. The results indicate that under the impact of brash ice, the upright cone of the ice-breaking cone has a higher ice resistance capacity compared to the inverted cone. With changes in cone angle, the trends of ice loads in the horizontal and vertical directions vary oppositely. However, the overall ice resistance capacity of the wind turbine foundation decreases as the cone angle increases. This study can provide a reference for the rational design of conical wind turbines in cold regions.

Modeling Ocean Swell and Overtopping Waves: Understanding Wave Shoaling with Varying Seafloor Topographies

One risk posed by hurricanes and typhoons is local inundation as ocean swell and storm surge bring a tremendous amount of energy and water flux to the shore. Numerical wave tanks are developed to understand the dynamics computationally. The three-dimensional equations of motion are solved by the software ‘Open Field Operation And Manipulation’ v2206. The ‘Large Eddy Simulation’ scheme is adopted as the turbulence model. A fifth-order Stokes wave is taken as the inlet condition. Breaking, ‘run-up’, and overtopping waves are studied for concave, convex, and straight-line seafloors for a fixed ocean depth. For small angles of inclination (<10°), a convex seafloor displays wave breaking sooner than a straight-line one and thus actually delivers a smaller volume flux to the shore. Physically, a convex floor exhibits a greater rate of depth reduction (on first encounter with the sloping seafloor) than a straight-line one. Long waves with a speed proportional to the square root of the depth thus experience a larger deceleration. Nonlinear (or ‘piling up’) effects occur earlier than in the straight-line case. All these scenarios and reasoning are reversed for a concave seafloor. For large angles of inclination (>30°), impingement, reflection, and deflection are the relevant processes. Empirical dependence for the setup and swash values for a convex seafloor is established. The reflection coefficient for waves reflected from the seafloor is explored through Fourier analysis, and a set of empirical formulas is developed for various seafloor topographies. Understanding these dynamical factors will help facilitate the more efficient designing and construction of coastal defense mechanisms against severe weather.

Hybrid intelligent and numerical methods to estimate the transmission coefficients of rectangular floating breakwaters

ABSTRACT Breakwaters are used to reduce incoming wave energy at harbors and shorelines. This paper presents a comparison of novel two-dimensional hybrid intelligent models for the idealization of the effects of waves on the performance of moored rectangular floating breakwaters (FBs). Fluid structure interactions (FSIs) were idealized by airy-type monochromatic regular waves generated in a numerical wave tank. The coupled Volume of Fluid-Fast Fictitious Domain (VOF-FFD) interpolation method was used to evaluate FB motions. Different forms of Least Squares Support Vector Machine Methods (LSSVMs) that utilized 183 data streams were used to model FB performance for different wave height-to-water depth ratios, dimensional aspect ratios, and specific length-to-water depth ratios. Of those, 80% were used to train the model and 20% to test it. Parametric studies have shown that during training a Least Squares Support Vector Machine Method-Bat Algorithm (LSSVM-BA) with R2 = 0.8725, MAE = 0.0276, and RMSE = 0.0488 presents the most appropriate model for the evaluation of FB performance. Notwithstanding this, during testing a Least Squares Support Vector Machine Method-Cuckoo Search (LSSVM-CS) Algorithm with corresponding values of 0.6841, 0.0519, and 0.0708 performs better.

Experimental Study on the Spring-like Effect on the Hydrodynamic Performance of an Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converter

The oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter has demonstrated significant potential for converting ocean wave energy. The spring-like effect of air compressibility can significantly affect the hydrodynamic behavior of the device, but it has rarely been investigated through experimental studies. In this study, an experimental test on a model-scaled OWC device was carried out in a wave flume using a series of regular and irregular waves. The spring-like effect was taken into account by the combination of the air chamber with an additional air reservoir of appropriate volume, where the total volume was scaled according to the square of the Froude scale. The hydrodynamic performance was compared with the results obtained without considering the spring-like effect. A phase difference between the air pressure and airflow rate was observed when employing the additional air reservoir. The amplitudes of free surface elevation and airflow rate increased, while the air pressure was reduced when the spring-like effect was considered. The results demonstrate that failure to consider the spring-like effect can lead to overestimation of the hydrodynamic efficiencies, and the errors were mainly affected by the incident wave frequency.