Mathematical Models Calculate the Complicated Nature of Waves

For very fast calculation of the wave behaviour, a research student has developed mathematical models for each water depth taking into account slopes, quay walls or ships. Unlike other mathematical models, the models of Ruddy Kurnia, a doctoral student at the Netherlands' University of Twente, does not use approximation but the exact relationship to capture the complicated nature of waves.

The waves we see at a surface, at full sea or at the coast, consist of numerous other waves at a range of depths. The deepest ocean waves with a long wave move at high speed, while the waves we see at the surface are short waves moving slower and differ from the deep sea waves in shape and altitude.

Rather than choosing a numerical approach that uses strongly simplified equations for a series of times, Kurnia wrote an accurate description of the combined action of the wave at different depths, using the kinetic energy, according to the University of Twente.

Kurnia was also able to introduce abrupt changes - a quay, a sloping coastline, and a ship. Despite the added complexity, the models calculated very fast - minutes instead of days.

The model calculations have already been compared with the many experiments in 'wave tanks' of the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands and the Indonesion Hydrodynamic Laboratory. Kurnia's research had financial support of the Dutch Technology Foundation STW. His software has been named HAWASSI: Hamiltonian Wave-Ship-Structure Interaction.

Source-IANS