Objectives
Although there exist a large number of numerical deterministic models able to simulate the propagation and deformation of sea waves travelling from deep water to coastal areas, it seems that such numerical models are sometimes inadequate to fully describe complex sea wave phenomena and coastal structures behaviour. Physical simulations on wave flumes and tanks are then necessary to obtain the statistical information impossible to achieve through the use of the referred to numerical models.

Both numerical and physical simulations are of crucial value in maritime hydraulic laboratories, given the fact that there is a high demand of sea wave studies that require both the use of numerical tools for the simulation of sea waves and physical model experimentation on some characteristics of unspecified/pre-specified target or natural waves.

The objective of this project is to develop and classify from a probabilistic or stochastic standpoint the different subjects of the numerical and physical simulation on wave flumes or tanks, and to implement on the computer a set of methods for the characterization and simulation of sea waves and processing wave data either from nature or from wave flumes by using the so-called "SAM” integrated software package.

Methodology
This project, which led to a PhD dissertation, is about the probabilistic modeling, both numerical (through numerical simulation) and physical (through physical modeling in flumes or tanks), of sea waves. The two perspectives, numerical and physical, are of chief importance in maritime hydraulics. A better knowledge of the methods of characterization and numerical simulation and physical of waves in a laboratory environment is the main goal to attain within this project.

Some of the problems studied in detail in the scope of this project were: (a) Separation of incident and reflected waves in flumes; (b) The use of a dynamic absorption system using intelligent systems; (c) Numerical and physical simulation of waves with pre-specified wave group characteristics; (d) Conditional simulation of wave records and (e) Second-order effects in the wave simulation, specially the ones originated by long bound waves.

Results
The product of this Project is an integrated software packages entitled SAM (Simulação da Agitação Marítima). The SAM software package is designed to characterize, to numerically simulate, to generate, to acquire and to control the sea wave agitation in flumes. Within this package an extensive range of numerical and physical aspects are treated.
 
 
 

References

• Capitão, R. (2006). Physical Simulation Of Wave Profiles In Flumes. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on the Application of Physical Modelling to Port and Coastal Protection, "CoastLab 06”, Porto, Maio de 2006.
• Capitão, R. (2004). Simulação numérica e física de perfis de ondas em canal de ondas irregulares. Artigo nº F061. XXI Congresso Latino-Americano de Hidráulica (IAHR), São Pedro, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, Outubro de 2004.
• Neves, M. G.; Capitão, R.; Santos, J. A. (2003). Caracterização do agrupamento de ondas e o seu efeito nos sistemas navios-amarras. 3as Jornadas Portuguesas de Engenharia Costeira e Portuária, Aveiro, Novembro de 2003.
• Capitão, R. (2002). Modelação estocástica numérica e física da agitação marítima. Tese de doutoramento em Engenharia Civil. Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Abril de 2002.
• Capitão, R.; Carvalho, M.M. (2001). Pacote de software geral para tratamento e geração de agitação marítima de curto prazo. Aplicação à geração em canal de ondas irregulares de perfis de agitação pré-estabelecidos. Seminário sobre a Hidroinformática em Portugal, Lisboa, Novembro de 2001.

Team
LNEC – Manuel Mendes de Carvalho, Rui Capitão;
Instituto Superior Técnico – Prof. António Pires Silva; Pedro Rosário;