Exploration of the wind-induced drift characteristics of typical Chinese offshore fishing vessels

The drift motion of a maritime distress target is the collective result of the balance of forces that comes from wind, currents and waves. The drift properties vary from one type of object to another. The objective of this paper is to explore the leeway drift characteristics of typical Chinese offshore fishing vessels as well as evaluate the leeway drift model. First, a series of field experiments were conducted in South China Sea to provide data source. Next, nine leeway coefficients in AP98 leeway model were derived by the least square fitting based on the experimental data. Furthermore, another drifting dynamics model based on a balance of forces on the drifting vessel due to wind and currents, was also calibrated for comparison. Finally, two cases of drift trajectory and searching areas were simulated by the two different models through Lagrangian particle tracking and Monte Carlo techniques. Results indicate that the AP98 leeway model is in better accordance with the observation compared with the drifting dynamics model. Additionally, the simulation accuracy of AP98 leeway model can be improved to some extent especially when the probability of positive crosswind (POPC) is considered. Considering the large number of the typical offshore fishing vessels in South China Sea, and their high accident rate, the model coefficients for this type of vessels are expected to be implemented into more search and rescue (SAR) models by SAR organizations.     

Wind-induced drift of objects at sea: The leeway field method

A method for conducting leeway field experiments to establish the drift properties of small objects (0.1-25 m) is described. The objective is to define a standardized and unambiguous procedure for condensing the drift properties down to a set of coefficients that may be incorporated into existing stochastic trajectory forecast models for drifting objects of concern to search and rescue operations and other activities involving vessels lost at sea such as containers with hazardous material.An operational definition of the slip or wind and wave-induced motion of a drifting object relative to the ambient current is proposed. This definition taken together with a strict adherence to a 10 m wind speed allows us to refer unambiguously to the leeway of a drifting object. We recommend that all objects if possible be studied using what we term the direct method, where the object’s leeway is studied directly using an attached current meter.We establish a minimum set of parameters that should be estimated for a drifting object for it to be included in the operational forecast models used for prediction of search areas for drifting objects.We divide drifting objects into four categories, depending on their size. For the smaller objects (less than 0.5 m), an indirect method of measuring the object’s motion relative to the ambient current must be used. For larger objects, direct measurement of the motion through the near-surface water masses is strongly recommended. Larger objects are categorized according to the ability to attach current meters and wind monitoring systems to them.The leeway field method proposed here is illustrated with results from field work where three objects were studied in their distress configuration; a 1:3.3 sized model of a 40-foot Shipping container, a World War II mine and a 220 l (55-gallon) oil drum.     

Technical issues in modeling surface-drifter behavior on the East China Sea shelf

To investigate technical issues associated with the particle-tracking numerical models frequently used to reproduce the behavior of objects drifting in the actual ocean, the trajectories of satellite-tracked drifters released in 2003, 2004, and 2007 were reproduced using a numerical model. In particular, the wind stress driving the surface currents which carried the drifters has been computed using satellite-observed QuikSCAT/Seawinds data provided twice daily in conjunction with in-situ Ieodo-station wind data. Although it is difficult to reproduce the trajectory of a single drifter using numerical models because of the uncertainty induced by random-walk processes, the similarity between the modeled particle and observed buoy trajectories is statistically significant, except for the experiment in 2007. In general, the satellite-derived wind field modified using in situ data is likely to be able to reproduce observed drifter motion. However, it is found that the model is unable to reproduce drifter trajectories in windy 2007. The numerical modeling result demonstrates that wind-induced leeway drift prevails in drifter motion in 2007, in spite of the wind-resistant drogue attached to the drifters, and that this drift shows non-negligible spatiotemporal variability, suggesting that leeway drift is not simply proportional to wind speeds, as in previous studies have maintained.     

An oilspill trajectory analysis model with a variable wind deflection angle

The oilspill trajectory movement algorithm consists of a vector sum of the surface drift component due to wind and the surface current component. In the U.S. Geological Survey oilspill trajectory analysis model, the surface drift component is assumed to be 3.5% of the wind speed and is rotated 20 degrees clockwise to account for Coriolis effects in the Northern Hemisphere. Field and laboratory data suggest, however, that the deflection angle of the surface drift current can be highly variable. An empirical formula, based on field observations and theoretical arguments relating wind speed to deflection angle, was used to calculate a new deflection angle at each time step in the model. Comparisons of oilspill contact probabilities to coastal areas calculated for constant and variable deflection angles showed that the model is insensitive to this changing angle at low wind speeds. At high wind speeds, some statistically significant differences in contact probabilities did appear.     

The model of tracing drift targets and its application in the South China Sea

A Leeway-Trace model was established for the traceability analysis of drifting objects at sea. The model was based on the Leeway model which is a Monte Carlo-based ensemble trajectory model, and a method of realistic traceability analysis was proposed in this study by using virtual spatiotemporal drift trajectory prediction. Here,measured data from a drifting buoy observation experiment in the northern South China Sea in April 2019,combined with surface current data obtained from the finite volu...     

Application of leeway drift data to predict the drift of panga skiffs: Case study of maritime search and rescue in the tropical pacific

The use of Search and Rescue (SAR) drift forecasting in an operational capacity is demonstrated through two SAR case studies, each predicting the drift of a panga skiff for 120 h (Case 1) and 72 h (Case 2). The leeway characteristics of panga skiffs were previously unknown, until a leeway field study was undertaken in mid-2012 to empirically determine the influence of wind and waves on their drift. As part of the two case studies described herein, four ocean models were used as environmental forcing for a stochastic particle trajectory model, to forecast the drift and resulting search areas for the panga skiffs. Each of the four ocean models were tested individually, and then combined into a consensus forecast to ascertain which ocean model was the most accurate in terms of distance error of modelled positions compared to actual panga skiff locations. Additionally, a hit analysis was undertaken to determine whether the panga skiff was located within the forecast search areas for each ocean model, and for consensus search areas. Finally, an assessment of the search area sizes was carried out to assess the single ocean model forecast search area sizes, and how they compared with the consensus search area size. In both of the case studies, all four ocean model forecast search areas contained the panga skiff at the time intervals tested, indicating a 100% hit rate and general consensus between the ocean models. The consensus search area, where all four ocean models overlapped, was approximately one third the size of the average single model search area. This demonstrates that the consensus search areas provide a more efficient search area compared to individual ocean model search area forecasts.     

A note on ocean surface drift with application to surface velocities measured with HF Radar

The ocean drift current consists of a (local) pure drift current generated by the interaction of wind and waves at the sea surface, to which the surface geostrophic current is added vectorially. We present (a) a similarity solution for the wave boundary layer (which has been validated through the prediction of the 10-m drag law), from which the component of pure drift current along the direction of the wind (and hence the speed factor) can be evaluated from the 10-m wind speed and the peak wave period, and (b) a similarity solution for the Ekman layers of the two fluids, which shows that under steady-state neutral conditions the pure drift current lies along the direction of the geostrophic wind, and has a magnitude 0.034 that of the geostrophic wind speed. The co-existence of these two similarity solutions indicates that the frictional properties of the coupled air-sea system are easily evaluated functions of the 10-m wind speed and the peak wave period, and also leads to a simple expression for the angle of deflection of the pure drift current to the 10 m wind. The analysis provides a dynamical model for global ocean drift on monthly and annual time scales for which the steady-state neutral model is a good approximation. In particular, the theoretical results appear to be able to successfully predict the mean surface drift measured by HF Radar, which at present is the best technique for studying the near surface velocity profile.     

广东海域模拟人和无动力渔船海上漂移试验研究

为探讨海上搜救目标无动力渔船和落水人员在海水中的漂移规律,对现有海上搜救目标漂移轨迹预测模型进行评估与改进,国家海洋局南海海洋工程勘察中心于2011年2月和4月在广东近岸海域开展了3组模拟人和2组无动力船海上漂移试验。试验发现模拟人与无动力船大部分时刻的漂移轨迹位于下风向的右侧,80%以上的时刻漂移轨迹位于海流流向和下风向的矢量合成区间内。以漂移速度为应变量,流速和风速为自变量进行二元回归分析发现,广东海域的模拟人和无动力渔船的流致漂移参数约为1.0,风致漂移参数分别为0.019和0.038。     

Numerical prediction of MODUs drift during Hurricane Katrina

Severe hurricanes, such as Katrina, broke the mooring lines of a number of mobile offshore drilling units (MODU) deployed in the Gulf of Mexico and some of those MODUs went adrift. A drifting MODU may damage other critical elements of the offshore oil and gas infrastructure by colliding with floating or fixed production systems and transportation hubs, or by rupturing pipelines owing to their dragging anchors over the seabed. To avoid or mitigate the damage caused by a drifting MODU, it is desirable to understand the mechanics of the drift of a MODU under the impact of severe wind, wave and current and have the capability of predicting the trajectory of the drift. To explore the feasibility and accuracy of predicting the trajectory of a drifting MODU based on hindcast met-ocean conditions and limited knowledge of the condition of the drifting MODU, this study employed a simplified equation describing only the horizontal (surge, sway and yaw) motions of a MODU under the impact of steady wind, current and wave forces. The simplified hydrodynamic model neglects the first- and second-order oscillatory wave forces, unsteady wind forces (owing to wind gustiness), wave drift damping, and the effects of the body oscillation on the steady wind and current forces. It was assumed that the net effects of the oscillatory forces on the steady motion are insignificant. To verify the accuracy and feasibility of our simplified approach, the predicted drifting trajectories of two MODUs were compared with the corresponding measurements recorded by the global positioning system (GPS).     

海上无动力船舶漂移轨迹模型及其在“桑吉”油轮漂移模拟中的应用

无动力或破损的船舶在海上自由漂移对海上的各项生产活动是一个巨大的危险。通过对海上漂浮的船舶进行受力分析,考虑船舶的外形特征及漂浮状态,建立了海上船舶漂移轨迹模型,对船舶海面以上与以下侧向投影面积之比(面积比)、风拖曳系数、流拖曳系数等参数均进行了敏感性分析,并针对2018年1月6日爆燃的"桑吉"油轮漂移轨迹开展了模拟应用。结果表明该模型针对不同类型海上船舶的漂移轨迹有一定合理的模拟能力,船舶面积比是准确模拟漂移轨迹的一个重要参数,同时,该模型对风拖曳系数、流拖曳系数较为敏感。针对"桑吉"油轮的模拟,科氏力的作用不可忽视,考虑科氏力作用后漂移轨迹的模拟效果得到了很好的改善。     

顾及风流压差的艏摇偏差校准方法

多波束艏摇偏差校准是多波束校准的主要内容之一。针对目前多波束艏摇偏差参数不同航次校准其结果相差很大的问题,分析得出了风流压差是产生此差值的主要原因。为此在两种计算风流压差基础上,提出了计算艏摇偏差的改进算法,并利用实测数据进行了验证。验证结果表明：改进方法能够有效地计算出多波束的艏摇偏差,提高了多波束艏摇校准精度。     

Mechanistic Drifting Forecast Model for A Small Semi-Submersible Drifter Under Tide-Wind-Wave Conditions

Understanding the drifting motion of a small semi-submersible drifter is of vital importance regarding monitoring surface currents and the floating pollutants in coastal regions. This work addresses this issue by establishing a mechanistic drifting forecast model based on kinetic analysis. Taking tide-wind-wave into consideration, the forecast model is validated against in situ drifting experiment in the Radial Sand Ridges. Model results show good performance with respect to the measured drifting features, characterized by migrating back and forth twice a day with daily downwind displacements. Trajectory models are used to evaluate the influence of the individual hydrodynamic forcing. The tidal current is the fundamental dynamic condition in the Radial Sand Ridges and has the greatest impact on the drifting distance. However, it loses its leading position in the field of the daily displacement of the used drifter. The simulations reveal that different hydrodynamic forces dominate the daily displacement of the used drifter at different wind scales. The wave-induced mass transport has the greatest influence on the daily displacement at Beaufort wind scale 5-6; while wind drag contributes mostly at wind scale 2-4.     

波浪辐射应力对海流模式影响的数值分析

将波浪辐射应力,特别是地转意义下的波浪辐射应力引入海流数值模式POM(princeton ocean model),在渤海海域进行了初步的数值研究。在目前的数值分析中仅考虑了波浪辐射应力的横向分量(也是最重要的分量)。在POM模式中引入非地转和地转意义下的波浪辐射应力两种方案,并与原模式直接运行(即不考虑波浪辐射应力)的结果进行比较。比较显示,波浪辐射应力,特别是地转意义下的波浪辐射应力对海流模式结果的影响不容忽略。在海浪场存在的条件下,由风应力和地转意义下浪致作用力共同作用产生的海流强度应比理论上Ekman漂流的强度大,尤其是在浪致作用力显著的表层,表层流将明显增强,且不会完全符合Ekman漂流理论的转向规律。     

A note on surface wind-driven flow

A simple operationally oriented model of surface wind-driven currents is presented in which Lagrangian surface drift is assumed to be composed of a linear combination of a wave-induced Stokes drift plus a wind-driven Ekman drift. Using this approach, Stokes drift accounts for as much as half the total surface current magnitude. The Lagrangian current is predicted to be about 3.5% of the 10 m wind magnitude directed in the sense of an Ekman spiral about a 20° deviation angle. For comparison to this model, a second model is proposed that accounts for the interaction of Stokes current and Coriolis force. An inference drawn from this model is that there is only weak coupling between Coriolis force and Stokes drift. Such a conclusion, if correct, leads one to focus attention on the Lagrangian model for operationally oriented current estimates. Results of the Lagrangian model agree with observations of investigators for currents at the air-sea interface and may have application in the movement f oil slicks or surface drifters at sea under fetch or duration limited sea states.     

Mechanistic Drifting Forecast Model for A Small Semi-Submersible Drifter Under Tide–Wind–Wave Conditions

Understanding the drifting motion of a small semi-submersible drifter is of vital importance regarding monitoring surface currents and the floating pollutants in coastal regions. This work addresses this issue by establishing a mechanistic drifting forecast model based on kinetic analysis. Taking tide–wind–wave into consideration, the forecast model is validated against in situ drifting experiment in the Radial Sand Ridges. Model results show good performance with respect to the measured drifting features, characterized by migrating back and forth twice a day with daily downwind displacements. Trajectory models are used to evaluate the influence of the individual hydrodynamic forcing. The tidal current is the fundamental dynamic condition in the Radial Sand Ridges and has the greatest impact on the drifting distance. However, it loses its leading position in the field of the daily displacement of the used drifter. The simulations reveal that different hydrodynamic forces dominate the daily displacement of the used drifter at different wind scales. The wave-induced mass transport has the greatest influence on the daily displacement at Beaufort wind scale 5–6; while wind drag contributes mostly at wind scale 2–4.     

苏北浒苔生长期运移路径及温盐环境的数值模拟

基于已验证的有限体积海岸海洋模型(FVCOM)和拉格朗日粒子离线追踪模块,模拟了潮、风、环流、温盐、波等外界强迫不同组合下苏北海域水面粒子的5种运移路径,通过实际漂流瓶轨迹验证,并进行路径间的差异与对应单强迫流场对比研究,探讨发端于苏北的浒苔运移路径及其影响因素。结果表明:浒苔运移路径先沿着苏北沿岸向北运移至废黄河口附近海域,之后向东北方向偏转继续运移,一直到山东半岛南部海域;影响苏北浒苔运移路径的外界强迫主要是风,其次是温盐、波浪、环流,潮流可以引起浒苔在局地的旋转往复运动,不能使其向北远距离漂移。漂流期间,苏北沿岸海域表层温度为18～24℃、盐度为28～31,温盐条件在浒苔最宜生长条件范围,是浒苔能边漂移边大面积暴发的原因之一。     

董家口港溢油漂移数值模拟

采用油粒子模式,以原油为溢油油种,在模拟潮流的基础上分别预测了董家口30万t码头航道溢油油膜在静风、西北风和不利风向3种情况下的油膜动态漂移过程。对溢油油膜漂移路径及扫海范围的模拟,可为码头溢油应急计划的制定提供一定的导向作用。     

Field investigations of the drift of artificial thin films on the sea surface

The results of field investigations of the drift of surface films are presented. The experiments were performed at the southern coast of the Crimea in the area of an oceanographic platform. It is shown that the drift of a thin film is described well by a linear combination of the vectors of the coastal current and wind, and the coefficient of the current velocity is close to unity. The total velocity of wind and wave drifts is 0.013 of the wind velocity magnitude or 0.38 of the air friction velocity. Analysis of experimental data demonstrates an increase in the film spreading rate with increasing wind velocity.     

The effects of random surface waves on the steady Ekman current solutions

The response of near-surface current profiles to wind and random surface waves are studied based on the approach of Jenkins [1989. The use of a wave prediction model for driving a near surface current model. Dtsch. Hydrogr. Z. 42, 134–149] and Tang et al. [2007. Observation and modeling of surface currents on the Grand Banks: a study of the wave effects on surface currents. J. Geophys. Res. 112, C10025, doi:10.1029/2006JC004028]. Analytic steady solutions are presented for wave-modified Ekman equations resulting from Stokes drift, wind input and wave dissipation for a depth-independent constant eddy viscosity coefficient and one that varies linearly with depth. The parameters involved in the solutions can be determined by the two-dimensional wavenumber spectrum of ocean waves, wind speed, the Coriolis parameter and the densities of air and water, and the solutions reduce to those of Lewis and Belcher [2004. Time-dependent, coupled, Ekman boundary layer solutions incorporating Stokes drift. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans. 37, 313–351] when only the effects of Stokes drift are included. As illustrative examples, for a fully developed wind-generated sea with different wind speeds, wave-modified current profiles are calculated and compared with the classical Ekman theory and Lewis and Belcher's [2004. Time-dependent, coupled, Ekman boundary layer solutions incorporating Stokes drift. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans 37, 313–351] modification by using the Donelan and Pierson [1987. Radar scattering and equilibrium ranges in wind-generated waves with application to scatterometry. J. Geophys. Res. 92, 4971–5029] wavenumber spectrum, the WAM wave model formulation for wind input energy to waves, and wave energy dissipation converted to currents. Illustrative examples for a fully developed sea and the comparisons between observations and the theoretical predictions demonstrate that the effects of the random surface waves on the classical Ekman current are important, as they change qualitatively the nature of the Ekman layer. But the effects of the wind input and wave dissipation on surface current are small, relative to the impact of the Stokes drift.     

Steady drift force on vertical cylinder - viscous vs. potential

The contribution of the steady drift force on a floating structure may arise from waves, wind and current. The component of the wave drift force may be due to the second-order diffraction theory or potential effect and may be due to the velocity squared force or viscous effect. The presence of current in waves increases the effect of the viscous force. The expressions for these terms for a vertical cylinder are derived and their relative importance is investigated. Plots are presented showing the regions where the viscous or potential drift force predominates. Experiments were conducted with both small and large diameter cylinders. The mean drift forces obtained in these tests are compared with the theory.