Calibration studies of the Hayes Coastal Engineering Laboratory

Date

2006-04-12

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Publisher

Texas A&M University

Abstract

The Hayes Coastal Engineering Laboratory is a new laboratory with two water basins: a 45.72-meters long, 3.66 meters wide and 3.06 meters deep Tow Tank with sediment pit for dredging and current flow studies, and a 36.58 meters long, 22.86 meters wide and 1.22 meters deep 3D Wave Basin for coastal wave studies. In order to assess the capabilities of the lab a series of tests were done in both tanks. Hydrodynamic tests in the Tow Tank using a Micro Acoustic Doppler Velociometer measured current flow in the tank and assessed the efficacy of different filters to stabilize flow patterns. A concrete dam structure installed near the reversed diffusers most effectively stabilized flow of all the configurations tested. Wave tests were conducted in the 3D Wave Basin with the newly-installed 48 paddle Rexroth wave generator at 0.5 and 1.0 meter water depths using wired and wireless capacitance wave gauges. These tests measured characteristics of the generated waves and reflection from the rubble-mound beach. In addition, initial testing of the Active Reflection Absorber (ARA) system was done. Correlating the wave data to the theoretical wave being produced showed that with water depth of 0.5 meters the 0.1 meter waves were well-formed, but the 0.2 meter waves showed energy loss and lower correlation. The results from one meter water depth wave tests showed good formation of 0.2 meter waves. In nearly all wave tests with pool buoys installed the waves were better formed with good correlation and a better fitting power spectrum. The beach reflection was within the expected value range, being ten percent and below for most tests. ARA, while operational, needs to be further tuned to find the settings that will increase its effectiveness.

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