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EXTREME WAVE ASYMMETRY IN FULL SCALE AND MODEL SCALE EXPERIMENTAL WAVE TRAINS

Large waves in long-duration irregular wave elevation records from laboratory experiments and from full scale measurements are investigated. A linear numerical simulation is also included as a reference. Most of the records include 900 waves or more. The laboratory records include tests where the average steepness of the waves has been systematically varied from one test to another. The full scale data are selected from laser sensor data recorded during storms in the North Sea. Individual wave-by-wave analysis shows that there is a significant statistical scatter in the correlation between the wave steepness and the wave asymmetry, in the linear simulations as well as in the experiments. The largest waves in the laboratory and the full scale data are, however, systematically asymmetric in the sense that their crests are normally larger than the troughs. This is in particular the case for the steepest waves with a wave height to wave length ratio of 0.09 or more, where the average crest-to-wave height is about 0.60. Crest height probability distribution analysis confirms these results on the asymmetry. The distributions from laboratory as well as from full scale records show that for the steepest wave conditions, the crests are 20% higher than expected from Rayleigh theory, while the linear simulations agree very well with the Rayleigh estimate. The laboratory records also show that this statistically observed nonlinearity clearly depends on the average wave steepness of the record. A simple non-linear crest estimation model agrees reasonably well with the measured crest heights.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • OMAE 1991, 10th Intl Conf on Offshore Mechanics & Arctic Engng; 23-28 June 1991; Stavanger, Norway. Sponsored by ASME et al. Publ by ASME, Vol 1, Part A, p 215 [8 p, 12 ref, 6 fig]
  • Authors:
    • Stansberg, C T
  • Publication Date: 1991

Language

  • English

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00702147
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: British Maritime Technology
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Aug 14 1995 12:00AM