> Modelling of sea waves and currents
LNEC 2005-2008
Objectives
The main objectives of this Project are:
- To develop and to adapt the tools, technologies and numerical models needed to determine the maritime wave climate in harbour and coastal areas;
- To develop real time forecasting systems to support the decision of the entities responsible by the management of coastal and harbour areas. These systems should enable an efficient management with limited costs;
- To develop methodologies for the numerical and physical simulation of wave records and to develop and upgrade wave generation and data acquisition software in physical flumes and tanks;
- To establish new sea wave regimes and to update existing wave regimes of the western and southern coast of Portugal.
Methodology
The improvement of the knowledge on the area of the sea wave and current modeling and the improvement of the current capacity of mathematical and physical modelling in this field is fully justified by the constant need to know the sea wave climate in coastal areas, harbour sites where maritime works are needed. This is necessary for establishing accurate hydraulic and structural designs, for the simulation of the impact of those works in the environment, and for the security of the navigation in the access to and in the interior of harbours. The economic and environmental importance of such human intervention in the coastal zone fully justifies the investment made in this research project.
Two main studies are being developed under this research project: the “Deterministic modelling of waves and currents” and the “Stochastic modelling of sea waves”.
Main Description of Studies
RESULTS
Integrated system for harbour modeling
- Development/Application of the SOPRO package in VBA for Microsoft Access
- Development/Application of GUIOMAR system in ARCGIS
Linear and Nonlinear numerical models
- Improvement/validation/application of nonlinear numerical models on wave propagation in coastal and harbour areas: BOUSS_iw, FUNWAVE e NMLSE_1D models
- Numerical analysis of wave breaking formulation to be included in the NMLSE model
Physical model tests
- Wave agitation tests in Vila do Porto harbour
- Flume tests to measure wave breaking
Numerical methods in harbour engineering
- Comparative analysis of the performance of iterative methods and pre-conditionators
- Improvement of a model for the automatic generation of finite element grids - GMALHA
Stochastic modelling of sea waves
Short-term sea wave simulation
- Improvement of the characterization and numerical simulation of sea wave records.
- Development of physical simulation of unidirectional waves in flumes and tanks.
- Development of methods for the elimination or attenuation of reflected waves by the paddle generator.
- Improvement of software package SAM.
Long-term sea wave regimes
- Establishment of extreme and observed wave regimes.
- Development of databases for sea wave data (including storm data).
- Establishment of methodologies for long-term analysis of wave data.
- Improvement in the methodologies for the transfer of sea wave regimes.
TEAM
Coordinator: Investigador-Coordenador Manuel Marcos Rita
The team involves 3 research officers, two technicians and two trainee researchers.
Participation of IST (DECivil), IST (DEM), and Universidade Nova de Lisboa