Wave Generators

TR-01-22
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Each wave generator has a 7.62-m-long wave board, so all four systems generate

a total wave front of 30.5 m in length. The wave generators are synchronized to

create unidirectional long-crested waves. Figure 5 is a photograph of the wave

generators during a performance test to determine the maximum wave height that

can be generated at various wave periods. The wave generators can be oriented at

various angles ranging from 0 to 20 deg with respect to shore-normal. In Figure 4,

the wave generators are positioned at 10 deg to shore-normal. For oblique angles

of wave attack, the wave generators are phase-shifted to maximize the cross-

shore dimension of the testing region. End baffles, located between each

adjacent wave board, are used to guide the waves and prevent the formation of

spurious waves caused from wave diffraction from the ends of each wave board

and from wave energy reflected from the wave absorber located behind the wave

generators.

Figure 5.

Synchronized wave generators creating long-crested waves

A performance curve for the wave generators is given in Figure 6 for a water

depth of 0.9 m at the wave generators. There are six curves in this figure. The

cresting-limit curve is based on linear wave theory for H/Lo = 0.142, where H is

Chapter 2

Overview of the Laboratory Facility