GREAT LAKES WAVE HEIGHT RADAR SYSTEM

This report describes a wave measurement system installed, tested and evaluated on board the M/V Stewart J. Cort and presents some of the test results. The wave measurement system consists of two radars used to profile the surface waves and two sets of accelerometers to record the motion of the vessel. Thirty-one data records, each about twenty to thirty minutes long, were recorded during the test period. Eight of these data sets were reduced to power spectral densities (PSD) in terms of the wave encounter frequencies. Each PSD value has about fifty degrees of freedom. The results show the significant wave height (SWH) as measured by the two radars to agree within about ten percent. The visual estimates of the SWH show a larger variation of agreement relative to the radar derived SWH. One buoy measurement was available to compare with the radar results. The buoy derived SWH (0.5m) was about one-half the radar measurement. This is due to a light off shore wind that day that resulted in small SWH for both the buoy and the radars as well as a shorter fetch for the development of waves at the buoy site as compared with the ship location.

• Corporate Authors:

  Naval Research Laboratory

  Advanced Space Sensing Application Branch
  Washington, DC  United States  20375

  United States Coast Guard

  Office of Research and Development, 400 7th Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Hammond, D L
• Publication Date: 1979-11-1

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 93 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accelerometers; Bending moments; Hulls; Measurement; Measuring instruments; Ore carriers; Power spectra; Radar; Stresses; Technology; Wave height; Wave measurement
• Geographic Terms: Great Lakes
• Old TRIS Terms: Hull bending moments; Hull girder stresses; Springing; Ss stewart j. cort
• Subject Areas: Design; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00314960
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: CG-D-6-80 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: MIPRZ70099-7-817597A
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 27 1980 12:00AM