Experimental study of turbulent-wake expansion from a surface ship

We studied the time dynamics of a turbulent region excited by a moving surface vessel in a field experiment. The time dependences of the geometrical sizes of the turbulent region are obtained, and it is shown that the time dependence of the width of the turbulent wake at the initial stage is close to the power-law function with an exponent of 0.4 for different experiments (the depth of the wake remaining practically constant). In the semiempirical turbulence theory, we suggested a qualitative model describing the process of the initial expansion of a ship wake as a diffusion of a one-dimensional layer of turbulized liquid due to a pulsed source.     

与岸线协调的水深自动选取方法

针对当前水深自动选取中水深点与岸线的协调匹配问题,提出了一种与岸线协调的水深自动选取方法。通过分析资料水深点与岸线的平面位置关系,提取出与岸线协调的待选水深点;从航海安全角度考虑,优先选取浅水深点;在此基础上,分别定义水深点与岸线弯曲处、平直处的协调度,并建立协调度评估模型;通过定量计算协调度,选取出与岸线协调匹配的水深点。实验结果表明,所提方法能在岸线弯曲处优先选取出协调的水深点,同时能保证在岸线平直处附近所选取的水深点分布合理;所提方法能够较好地考虑水深点与岸线的图上位置关系,避免水深注记中断岸线、水深注记"上陆"的情况出现。     

Damping of gravity–capillary waves on water surface covered with a visco-elastic film of finite thickness

Results of laboratory studies of the damping of gravity–capillary waves on a water surface covered with a film of petroleum product (diesel fuel) in a wide range of change in a film thickness are presented. A nonmonotonic dependence (with a local maximum) of a damping coefficient on film thickness is discovered. Numerical calculations of the dispersion equation for gravity–capillary waves in the presence of a viscoelastic film of arbitrary thickness, which confirmed the existence of the maximum of the damping coefficient as a function of film thickness, are performed. Based on a comparison of the calculation results and the data of laboratory measurements of wave characteristics, the values of parameters in the diesel fuel films are estimated in a wide range of a change in their thickness.     

A diagnostic modelling framework to construct indices of biotic integrity: A case study of fish in the Zeeschelde estuary (Belgium)

We propose a coherent regression model building framework to construct fish-based indices. More specifically, we concentrate on the selection of an optimal set of metrics which remains a difficult problem. The paper departs from the observation that an index of biotic integrity (IBI) is analogous to a diagnostic model in medicine assessing the health condition of a patient from a series of biomarkers. In the same vein, an IBI is a diagnostic model predicting the ecosystem condition of a site from a set of (scored) metrics. Metrics are community attributes sensitive to anthropogenic pressure and their scores express the “distance to target” to a reference condition. In a medical context, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves are commonly used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of laboratory tests. An ROC curve plots the sensitivity of a test (Se; the capacity to detect a disease or degradation) as a function of its false positive fraction (FPF) which is the complement of the specificity (Sp = 1 - FPF; the capacity to recognise a healthy person or a reference condition). The ROC curve represents the strength of the index to discriminate between degraded and reference sites. Higher curves correspond to stronger tests as then a higher sensitivity can be combined with a lower false positive fraction. Hence, it is intuitively clear to use summary statistics of the ROC curve as criteria to optimise medical tests or biotic indices. In this paper, we illustrate the value of this modelling framework with a case study in the Zeeschelde estuary in Belgium. In essence, a “traditional” IBI is an average of metrics scoring relevant properties of the ecosystem. We demonstrate this average score model (AVG) is a special member of the more flexible predictive logistic model (PLM) family. The selection of a set of metrics becomes equivalent to variable selection in statistical model building. We apply model building techniques as best subsets regression to facilitate the search for an optimal suite of metrics from a candidate set and use cross-validation to avoid overfitting. The results show that a few metrics suffice to discriminate between most-impacted and least-impacted sites.     

Wave dispersion equation in a porous seabed

The wave dispersion equation has played a very important role in the development of ocean surface wave theories. The evaluation of the length of a water wave is an essential example of solving the dispersion relation. Conventional ocean wave theories have been based on an assumption of a rigid impermeable seabed. Thus, the conventional wave dispersion equation can only be used in the case of a wave propagating over a rigid impermeable seabed. For waves propagating over a porous seabed (such as a sandy bed), the conventional dispersion relation is no longer valid because of the absence of the characteristics of the porous seabed. The objective of this study is to establish a new wave dispersion equation for waves propagating over a porous seabed. Based on the new relation, the effects of a porous seabed on wave characteristics (such as the wavelength and wave profile) are discussed in detail.     

Numerical Study of a Kyucho and a Bottom Intrusion in the Bungo Channel,Japan: Disturbances Generated by the Kuroshio Small Meanders

The generation and propagation mechanisms of a Kyucho and a bottom intrusion in the Bungo Channel, Japan, have been studied numerically using the hydrostatic primitive equations by assuming density stratification during summer. The experiments are designed to generate a Kuroshio small meander in Hyuga-Nada, which acts as a trigger for these disturbances. After the current speed of the Kuroshio is changed, a small meander is generated. At the head of the small meander, warm Kuroshio water is engulfed, and encounters the southwest coast of Shikoku. However, convergence of heat flux on the bump off Cape Ashizuri suppresses the generation of a warm disturbance, if the current speed is large. As the cold eddy associated with the small meander approaches Cape Ashizuri, the heat flux diverges on the bump. This heat source forces a warm disturbance, which intrudes along the east coast of the Bungo Channel as a baroclinic Kelvin wave (a Kyucho). After the cold eddy passes off Cape Ashizuri, the Kuroshio approaches the bump again. Strong convergence of heat flux then occurs on the bump, which forces a cold disturbance. This disturbance propagates as a topographic Rossby wave along the shelf break at the mouth of the channel. After the topographic wave reaches the west end of the shelf break, it intrudes along the bottom layer of the channel as a density current (a bottom intrusion). These results suggest that a Kyucho and a bottom intrusion are successive events associated with the propagation of the small meander.     

Spatial and temporal variability and size fractionation of chlorophyll a in the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean

The spatial and temporal variability and size fractionation of chlorophyll a(Chl a) were investigated in the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean during four survey cruises from 2005 to 2009.The surface Chl a(S-Chl a) concentration ranged from 0.002 to 0.497 mg/m 3 and was obviously higher in the eastern Pacific than in the western and central Pacific.The vertical distribution of Chl a displayed a single peak pattern,and the maximum Chl a layer(MCL) was observed at a shallower depth in the eastern Pacific than in the western Pacific.All three size fractions of Chl a measurements in the surface water showed a similar distribution to total Chl a and were found in higher concentrations in the eastern Pacific than in the western and central Pacific.Picoplankton dominated the phytoplankton in the surveyed tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean.Furthermore,pico-Chl a(0.2-2 μm) accounted for a larger percentage of the total Chl a in the central Pacific than it did in the western Pacific and eastern Pacific.In the western Pacific,there seemed to be a latitudinal variability in the phytoplankton community composition where small-sized phytoplankton(<2 μm) were more dominant in the tropical than in the subtropical western Pacific.The spatial and temporal variability and size fractionation of Chl a were controlled by hydrological and chemical characteristics and climate events,such as El Nin o and La Nin a.     

The use of artificial neural networks for the intelligent optimalcontrol of surface ships

Many conventional ship autopilots use proportional integral and derivative (PID) control algorithms to guide a ship on a fixed heading (course-keeping) or a new heading (course-changing). Such systems usually have a gyrocompass as a single sensory input. Modern sea going vessels have a range of navigation aids most of which may be interconnected to form integrated systems. It is possible to employ the navigational data to provide best estimates of state vectors (Kalman filter) and optimal guidance strategies. Such techniques require powerful computing facilities, particularly if the dynamic characteristics of the vessel are changing, as may be the case in a maneuvering situation or changes in forward speed. This paper investigates the possibility of training a neural network to behave in the same manner as an optimal ship guidance system, the objective being to provide a system that can adapt its parameters so that it provides optimal performance over a range of conditions, without incurring a large computational penalty. A series of simulation studies have been undertaken to compare the performance of a trained neural network with that of the original optimal guidance system over a range of forward speeds. It is demonstrated that a single network has comparable performance to a set of optimal guidance control laws, each computed for different forward speeds     

Estimation of the Roll Hydrodynamic Moment Model of a Ship by Using the System Identification Method and the Free Running Model Test

When a fast container ship or a naval vessel turns, accompanying roll motions occur. This roll effect must be considered in the horizontal equations of the motion of the ship to predict the maneuverability of the ship properly. In this paper, a new method for determining a model structure of the hydrodynamic roll moment acting on a ship and for estimating the hydrodynamic coefficients is proposed. The method utilizes a system identification technique with the data from sea trial tests or from free running model (FRM) tests. To obtain motion data that is applied to the proposed algorithm, an FRM of a large container ship was developed. Using this model ship, standard maneuvering tests were carried out on a small body of water out of doors. A hydrodynamic roll moment model was constructed utilizing the data from turning circle tests and a 20-20 zig-zag test. This was then confirmed through a 10-10 zig-zag test. It was concluded that a model structure of the hydrodynamic roll moment model could be established without difficulty through a system identification method and FRM tests.     

Design Research on Drive System of Underwater Tapping Machine

The underwater tapping machine is composed of a center bit,a tapping cutter,a sesl box,a main drive box,aboring bar assembly,a envelop,a gear case,a counter and so on.The drive system in underwater tapping machine consists of a worm drive,a gear drive system and a screw drive.The worm drive is in the main drive box.The worm is connected with a hydraulic motor and driven by the hydraulic motor.The gear drive system is a combined gear train which is the combinations of the fixed axes and differential gear train in the gear case.On the one hand,by means of the fixed axes gear trains the turn and power of transmission shaft are transferred to the boring bar and the screw rod,causing differential tam between the boring bar and the screw rod.On the other hand,the turns of the boring bar and the screw rod are transferred to the differential gear train.The differential gear train is used to drive a special counter to count axial travel of the boring bar.The screw drive is composed of a feed screw and a nut on the boring bar.There is the differential turn between the boring bar and the feed screw.By means of the nut,the boring bar can feed automatically.With the movement of the sliding gear 7 in the gear case,the designed drive system can also be provided with the ability of fast forward and fast backward movement of the boring bar in its idle motion,restdting in the increase of the tapping efficiency.     

On the stability of vortex streets in a stratified fluid

On the basis of the perturbation theory developed previously by the authors for localized hydrodynamic vortices, the influence of a specified jet flow and of the structure of individual vortices on the stability of the Karman street is investigated. It is shown that, for a street of vortices with a power law of decrease in the azimuthal velocity, the jet flow suppresses instability only with respect to perturbations with wavelengths from a certain range determined by the parameters of the flow. At the same time, for streets formed from vortices with a Gaussian profile of the azimuthal velocity, even in the absence of a specified flow, there is a certain region of the street’s parameters in which the street is stable against perturbations of all scales. Thus, for the purposes of modeling quasi-two-dimensional flows in a stratified fluid by a sequence of localized vortices, which is discussed in this study, vortices with a Gaussian profile of the azimuthal velocity turn out to be preferable. The results of this study are consistent with numerous experiments on the structure of a quasi-two-dimensional wake behind a body in a stratified fluid at large Reynolds and Froude numbers.     

On the simulation of temperature and salinity fields in the Arctic Ocean

This paper considers the formation of the thermohaline structure of the Arctic Ocean: the formation of the salinity field and a freshwater reservoir in the Beaufort Sea and the transport of warm Atlantic water into the central part of the Arctic Ocean. A new version of the Finite Element Model of the Arctic Ocean (FEMAO) with a low spatial resolution is used. The main distinctions of this version are the following features: a new equation of state, a more sophisticated parameterization of vertical turbulence, modified formulations for the boundary conditions on open boundaries (using satellite data on the sea level) and at the upper boundary of the ocean, and the use of a variable eddy diffusivity in the parameterization of the eddy transport of a scalar. Our experiments indicated that the use of the parameterization of the eddy transport of a scalar enhances the transport of warm Atlantic waters to the central part of the Arctic Ocean through the Fram Strait; the results are most realistic when a variable coefficient is used. The Neptune effect has a contradictory role and, in the future, a higher spatial resolution should be used instead of this parameterization. We revealed that a key factor in the thermohaline fields on a large time scale is the interaction with the Atlantic Ocean, which is the source of heat and saline water.     

The motion of a 9.1 m yacht hull buoy moored in open sea

A 9.1 m yacht hull was instrumented to measure its three-dimensional motion when moored in the open sea. The hull was deployed on three occasions for a total period of about 2 months and encountered a wide range of wind-wave conditions including a strong gale. The data have been analysed to give the response for each component of motion in terms of amplitude and relative phases. The hull motion is compared spectrally to the waves observed by a nearby Waverider. The hull was found to behave as a surface-keyed buoy, with a well defined response for a wide range of conditions. The presence of a resonance in pitch and roll is evident in the data with typical rms values being 5° and 10°, respectively, for significant wave height of 5 m. From data on the mooring dynamics it is concluded that the peaks observed in the tension are a result of the viscous drag opposing the change in the catenary of the mooring and the slow drift oscillations of the buoy. This type of hull is a versatile and economical candidate as a platform for meteorological and oceanographic instrumentation.     

高阶非线性完全频散性波浪数值模型及应用

为更精确地模拟强非线性完全频散性波浪的传播,采用长波上非线性重力表面波传播高阶数学模型,综合参考此模式已有的研究成果,建立了一个高达五阶的完全频散性非线性数值模型。应用该五阶模式对斜坡地形、潜堤地形及正弦沙链地形进行模拟计算,并与已有的实验资料进行对比,结果显示五阶模式较低阶模式模拟结果的精度上有了明显提高,模拟波形与实验结果吻合度良好,证明高阶模式更适用于高频散高非线性波浪传播的数值模拟。     

Experiments on Surface Waves Interacting with Flexible Aquatic Vegetation

Surface wave interaction with aquatic vegetation appears to play a key role in coastal hydro-morpho-dynamics. As an example, the presence of a dense meadow at intermediate water depth is usually associated with a stable and resilient shore. Wave-meadow interactions are investigated here by means of physical modelling, with a focus on wave height distribution and hydrodynamics. The central part of a wave flume is covered by flexible artificial seagrass, composed of polyethylene leaves. This vegetation is tested in both near emergent and submerged conditions. The wave height reduction is evaluated by means of a drag coefficient defined from linear wave theory, which contains all the unknowns of the adopted methodology. The behaviour of such a coefficient is investigated as a function of a wave related Reynolds number. The influence of the flexibility of the leaves is also considered, together with a wave frequency parameter. The results show a complex behaviour with three different trends for near rigid, intermediate or highly flexible leaves. Amplitudes of the orbital velocities are investigated and show a fairly good match with the linear wave theory. On the contrary, the mean velocity along the water column appears to be modified by the seagrass for submerged leaves.     

长周期动力形态模型中地形演变方法探讨

PRD-LTMM是一个模拟和描述三角洲地形中、长期演变过程的动力形态模型.在长时间尺度的模拟过程中,必须从模型输入、模型物理系统本身到模型输出等各个角度考虑模拟约减处理.代表性输入条件是实现模型约减的基础,而地形时间的步长延长是提高长周期模型模拟效率的关键.延长技术通常有直接推延、时间中心推延、潮汐延展及泥沙输运率公式线性化等四种方法.通过系列敏感性试验,对PRD-LTMM模型选择潮汐延展技术来进行地形时间步长的延长处理,推延的时间长度为10 a,基于此条件下的PRD-LTMM在长周期模拟中不仅稳定性较好,而且结果也较精确.     

Temporal variation of modulated-wave-train geometries and their influence on vertical bending moments of a container ship

A towing experiment was conducted using a modulated wave train to investigate the vertical bending responses of a hydro-structural container ship model. In the experiment, a spatially periodic modulated wave train, as a model of a freak wave in successive high waves mimicking the so-called three sisters, was generated by the recently established higher-order spectral method wave generation (HOSM-WG) method. HOSM-WG enables us to control the location and timing of the maximum crest height in a wave tank. With precise control of the towing carriage, an experiment was conducted in which the timing of the encounters between the ship model and the modulated wave train was accurately determined. The maximum sagging moment (SM) was found to increase in proportion with the encounter wave height. However, because of differences in the relative depth of the fore and aft troughs, the maximum SM is highly variable for a given wave height. The temporal wave-geometry evolution caused the relative trough-depth to vary significantly within a wave period in the vicinity of the maximum crest height. As a result, depending on the encounter timing, the SM varied considerably for a given wave height. The temporal variation of the wave geometry is a robust feature of a modulated wave train and is common between the spatially periodic and temporally periodic modulated wave trains.     

Generation mechanisms of tidal residual circulation

Two new types of mechanism for the generation of tidal residual flow are revealed with the use of a hydraulic model experiment. A remarkable anticlockwise tidal residual circulation is formed in a model bay due to the presence of a tidal current, the Coriolis force and a horizontal boundary. A similar circulation is also formed due to the presence of a bottom slope, a horizontal boundary and a tidal current which flows normal to the inclination of the bottom slope. The residual circulation in the Sea of Iyo in the Seto Inland Sea is considered to be due to a combination of the effects of the Coriolis force, a bottom slope, a horizontal boundary and the tidal current. We classified some of the generation mechanisms of tidal residual flow which have been described to date into seven types on the basis of vorticity considerations.     

Morphological and statistical approaches to improve detection in the presence of reverberation

The detection of a target echo in a sonar image is usually a difficult task since the reverberation, consisting of a large number of spurious echoes, generates a lot of false alarms. In this paper, we propose two new detectors derived from image processing algorithms. These detectors are respectively based on a morphological and a statistical contrast. Each detector only requires setting a few parameters. This setting is done using some prior knowledge about the data (shape of the emitted signal and the used antenna, characteristics of the reverberation). Nevertheless, an extensive statistical study of the detection performances proves that the proposed methods are robust and that even an imprecise setting of the parameters leads to satisfactory results. Applied to the real data, these detectors and their sequential combination lead to a significant improvement on the performances: The false alarm rate is drastically reduced while the detection probability is preserved. Based on different contrasts, these detectors have complementary behaviors. Therefore, a further improvement is achieved by a fusion of the different results to classify the remaining echoes as whether spurious or true detection.