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Development of a directional wave gage for short sea waves
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Suoja, Nicole Marie |
| Copyright Year | 1996 |
| Abstract | Understanding sea-surface interactions is an important subject of study within the oceanographic community. In particular, the amplitude, direction, and general behavior of high frequency waves play significant roles in radar imaging and remote sensing. Waves in the frequency range of interest to remote sensing systems are four to five orders of magnitude lower in energy than waves of primary oceanographic engineering interest, such as general sea swell. These high frequency waves of interest have wavelengths of approximately 1 to 30 centimeters. Unfortunately, most currently existing in situ wave measuring instruments do not measure the amplitude and directional distribution of these small-wavelength, low-energy waves. The few tha t can measure them are costly and require very low sea states in which to operate. Thus, there is need for an instrument to measure the directional and energy content of the high frequency waves that is deployable in variable sea states. An instrument which can accomplish these tasks has been developed. Its initial design and lab testing were conducted by previous MIT student David Chen (Chen, 1994). The practical use of this instrument in the ocean environment and its continuing evolution are the topics of this thesis. The theory behind the use of a 64-wire surface-piercing circular wave gage has now been fully developed. The previous gage design and analysis code have been further optimized to provide increased ease of calibration and use in the ocean environment and to improve noise rejection. The instrument has been subsequently tested in a wave tank to insure its accuracy in comparison with tests performed using a laser slope gage and off a pier to insure its usability. The data analysis code has been refined and tested with known inputs and the results compare favorably with independent measurements. Finally, the instrument has been tested in open water conditions. The results from these tests have been compared to theoretical predictions of fully developed wind driven waves. Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Jerome H. Milgram Title: Professor of Ocean Engineering |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/38163/35994161-MIT.pdf?sequence=2 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
