杭州湾南岸浅滩的漫滩潮流数值模拟

在杭州湾浅滩上采用底座式ADCP测得单点的漫滩潮流流速、流向及同步水位的变化过程,并在此基础上建立平面二维潮流数值模型,分析整个潮滩上的漫滩潮流过程及其特征。在模型漫滩边界上采用向上取水位值的处理方法,使得模型计算稳定,并获得了稳定逼真的漫滩潮流模拟结果。模拟结果表明:漫滩潮流模拟过程与实测资料基本一致。因此在漫滩潮流模拟中向上取水位值的边界处理方法是可行的。研究成果为漫滩潮流的数值模拟提供了一种较实用的漫滩边界处理方法。     

基于GIS的宁波市海洋专题保障预报综合信息服务平台开发与应用

利用GIS地理信息系统、网络数据库等技术,设计开发一个集港口码头潮汐潮流精细化预报、海上搜救辅助决策、海上溢油及化学品漂移扩散辅助决策、海洋环境预警预报等功能于一体的宁波市海洋专题保障预报综合信息服务平台,为宁波涉海涉渔部门提供精准直观、灵活多样的各项专题海洋预报产品,更好地服务宁波市海洋经济的发展,提升地方政府海上突发事件应急能力。     

苏北浅滩养殖筏架附生绿藻入海过程在黄海绿潮形成中的作用

本研究采用现场定量观测为主的研究方法,在2017年5月期间对苏北浅滩竹根沙收紫菜养殖筏架作业过程进行跟踪调查;对养殖筏架绠绳附生绿藻自然脱落和收筏架作业过程人为刮落附生绿藻,以及收筏架作业前后入海的漂浮绿藻生物量进行定量观测。结果表明:筏架绳附生绿藻自然脱落率低,为3.58%±0.78%;收筏架作业过程中绠绳上刮落绿藻生物量为(12±3)kg湿重/根,由此估算2017年整个苏北浅滩刮落的生物量估算可达到万吨湿重;收筏架作业后海域漂浮绿藻生物量是作业前的7.6倍。研究结果进一步明确了收筏架作业过程中人为刮落绿藻是目前筏架附生绿藻最主要的入海方式。刮落绿藻是海水中漂浮绿藻的主要来源,其生物量对南黄海绿潮的规模大小有重要的影响。研究结果为绿潮防控措施的制定和实施提供科学依据。     

Instantaneous Shorelines as an Intermediate for Island Shoreline Mapping based on Aerial/Satellite Stereo Images

Island shoreline mapping based on field measurements by collecting visually discernible features is costly and even unrealistic to be implemented in practice because of the nonuniqueness, fuzziness, and ambiguity of shoreline features. The MHHW (the mean higher high water) shoreline, i.e., the intersection of the coastal profile with the MHHW, is recommended to be chosen as a significant shoreline indicator of an island. An approach for mapping the MHHW shoreline using the aerial/satellite stereo images is proposed. In the proposed procedure, first, the height difference between the instantaneous shoreline and the MHHW shoreline is calculated by the ocean tide model; then the orthometric/normal height of the instantaneous shoreline is determined from the stereo images; last, the instantaneous shoreline is used as an intermediate for determination of the height of the MHHW shoreline. The proposed procedure is applied to the MiaoZiHu Island located in the East China Sea. Preliminary experimental result shows that in ideal cases, the horizontal positional accuracy of the extracted shoreline can reach 0.2 m from aerial images of 0.1 m resolution.     

Improved assessments of wave-induced fatigue for free spanning pipelines

For subsea pipeline projects, the costs related to seabed correction and free span intervention are often considerable. Development of reliable methods for fatigue analyses of pipelines in free spans contributes to minimize costs without compromising pipeline integrity. Assessment of wave-induced fatigue damage on multi-span pipelines is investigated, and improved analysis methods are suggested in this paper. A time-domain (TD) algorithm is developed, which accounts for non-linear hydrodynamic loading and dynamic interaction between adjacent spans. The proposed TD approach is employed to evaluate linearized frequency-domain (FD) solutions from recognized design standards and to study the dynamic response of multi-span pipelines to direct wave loading. Differences between multi- and single-span analyses are described for the first time, and the common assumption that the main fatigue damage contribution comes from the fundamental mode is demonstrated not to hold for multi-spans. An improved FD solution capable of predicting multi-mode response is derived and demonstrated to give accurate fatigue life estimates for multi-span pipelines.     

Wave tank and bench-top control testing of a wave energy converter

An increasing number of experiments are being conducted to study the design and performance of wave energy converters. Often in these tests, a real-time realization of prospective control algorithms is applied in order to assess and optimize energy absorption as well as other factors. This paper details the design and execution of an experiment for evaluating the capability of a model-scale WEC to execute basic control algorithms. Model-scale hardware, system, and experimental design are considered, with a focus on providing an experimental setup capable of meeting the dynamic requirements of a control system. To more efficiently execute such tests, a dry bench testing method is proposed and utilized to allow for controller tuning and to give an initial assessment of controller performance; this is followed by wave tank testing. The trends from the dry bench test and wave tank test results show good agreement with theory and confirm the ability of a relatively simple feedback controller to substantially improve energy absorption. Additionally, the dry bench testing approach is shown to be an effective and efficient means of designing and testing both controllers and actuator systems for wave energy converters.     

Extracting energy while reducing hydroelastic responses of VLFS using a modular raft wec-type attachment

This paper presents the use of a modular raft Wave Energy Converter (WEC)-type attachment at the fore edge of a rectangular Very Large Floating Structure (VLFS) for extracting wave energy while reducing hydroelastic responses of the VLFS under wave action. The proposed modular attachment comprises multiple independent auxiliary pontoons (i.e. modules) that are connected to the fore edge of the VLFS with hinges and linear Power Take-Off (PTO) systems. For the hydroelastic analysis, the auxiliary pontoons and the VLFS are modelled by using the Mindlin plate theory while the linear wave theory is used for modelling the fluid motion. The analysis is performed in the frequency domain using the hybrid Finite Element-Boundary Element (FE-BE) method. Parametric studies are carried out to investigate the effects of pontoon length, PTO damping coefficient, gap between auxiliary pontoons, and incident wave angle on the power capture factor as well as reductions in the hydroelastic responses of the VLFS with the modular attachment. It is found that in oblique waves, the modular attachment comprising multiple narrow pontoons outperforms the corresponding rigid attachment that consists of a single wide pontoon with respect to the power capture factor and the reduction in the deflection of the VLFS. In addition, it is possible to have a considerable gap between pontoons without significantly compromising the effectiveness of the modular attachment.     

An efficient hybrid integral-equation method for point-absorber wave energy converters with a vertical axis of symmetry

To assist in the prototyping and controller design of point-absorber wave energy converters (WECs), an easy-to-implement hybrid integral-equation method is presented for computing the frequency-domain hydrodynamic properties of bodies with a vertical axis of symmetry in waves. The current hybrid method decomposes the flow domain into two parts: an inner domain containing the body and an outer domain extending to infinity. The solution in the inner domain is computed using the boundary-element method, and the outer-domain solution is expressed using eigenfunctions. Proper matching at the domain boundary is achieved by enforcing continuity of velocity potential and its normal derivative. Body symmetry allows efficient computation using ring sources in the inner domain. The current method is successfully applied to three different body geometries including a vertical truncated floating cylinder, the McIver toroid, and the coaxial-cylinder WEC being developed in the authors’ laboratory. In particular, the current results indicate that, by replacing the flat bottom of the coaxial-cylinder WEC with the Berkeley-Wedge (BW) shape, viscous effect can be significantly reduced with only minor negative impact on wave-exciting force, thus increasing WEC efficiency. Finally, by comparing to experimental measurements, the current method is demonstrated to accurately predict the heave added mass and wave-exciting force on the coaxial-cylinder WEC with BW geometry. If a viscous damping correction factor is used, the heave motion amplitude can also be accurately computed.     

Sea state estimation using multiple ships simultaneously as sailing wave buoys

The article presents initial ideas towards a network-based approach for sea state estimation used for marine operations and other maritime applications. In principle, all available means, ranging from in situ buoys, fleet of ships to remote sensing by satellite and aircraft, could be considered, emphasising that each means and any combinations among may act simultaneously. This study focuses on just one of the means; the use of ships as sailing wave buoys. The article introduces the wave buoy analogy, i.e. ship-as-a-wave-buoy, and it makes a proposal on how to impose (different) weights to the single ship-specific wave spectrum estimates obtained from multiple ships. Moreover, the work includes a discussion about the importance to associate a measure to reflect the (un)certainty of the wave spectrum estimate. The article presents a numerical case study, where multiple ships act simultaneously as wave spectrum-estimators. The case study relies on numerical motion simulations, as appropriate full-scale data is not yet available. In the analysis, it is shown that the use of simultaneous data from multiple ships leads to more accurate wave spectrum estimations.     

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.