Dynamics of Marine Vessels (MR 333)

Sheet 3
1. Discuss the evolution of water waves generated when wind blows over the ocean surface
from developing seas to decaying seas. What are the main physical mechanisms for wave
production by wind?

2. Briefly explain what a Wave Energy Spectrum is, where it comes from, and how it can
be related to a Rayleigh Probability Distribution.

3. Sketch a typical spectrum for developing, fully-developed, and decaying ocean waves
on one plot. Discuss briefly why the spectra differ in shape.

4. What is the relationship between the variance of the irregular wave signal and the wave
energy spectrum curve?

5. Explain what significant wave height is and why it is so widely used to describe ocean
waves and sea states.

6. Explain briefly the physical meaning of the spectral moments m 2 and m 4 .

7. True or False: The period between peaks is about equal to the period between zero -
crossings for a wide-banded time history.

8. Which idealized wave energy spectrum would be best to use when creating an open ocean
sea state with a given significant wave height and modal period?

9. Why is the Bretschneider Spectrum so widely used? What are its limitations?

10. Sketch a sample plot of wave amplitude (a) versus wave frequency ().

11. How do you find the variance of the time history of the water elevation?

12. What is the equation for the spectral moments? What is the zeroth spectral moment (mo)
equal to?

̅ , 𝑇̅𝑧 , 𝑇̅𝑝 and 𝐻

13. How do you find 𝜔 ̅1/3 if

i. you are given the time history of the water elevation?

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 ii. you are given the wave energy spectrum?

14. The wave height characteristics from wave records are shown in the table below. Find the
total number of waves measured, the average height, the significant height, the average one-
tenth and one-hundredth highest waves.

15. The wave spectrum of the sea surface, S  (  ), for the South Atlantic Ocean off the
coast of South Africa is idealized as shown below. Determine the following for this
particular seaway:

a) t h e s p e c t r u m b a n d wi d t h
b) the si gni ficant wave hei ght
c) t he m ean z ero up - cr ossi ng
d) t h e m e a n w a v e f r e q u e n c y

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16. Using ITTC spectrum, determine the probability a wave of 50 ft will be exceeded
in a sea state 8.

17. Consider the following discrete spectrum of unidirectional seas in deep water.

i. Find the variance of the spectrum.

ii. Find the average upcrossings of the sea state above the plane z = 3 m, if the frequency of
waves, upcrossings, exceeding a certain amplitude, a0 is

iii. Determine the minimum deck clearance, h, required for an offshore platform such that the
deck floods less than once per hour. Assume no wave diffraction.

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