Open AccessDRIFT SPEED OF BUOYS IN WAVES
Author(s) -
John H. Nath
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
proceedings of conference on coastal engineering/proceedings of ... conference on coastal engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2156-1028
pISSN - 0589-087X
DOI - 10.9753/icce.v16.49
Subject(s) - buoy , amplitude , physics , wind wave , drift velocity , meteorology , mechanics , geodesy , geology , geophysics , acoustics , optics , plasma , nuclear physics , oceanography , thermodynamics
The drift speed of small floating objects subjected to periodic waves was investigated experimentally. Although data scatter is evident, the results show reasonably good agreement between Stokes third order mass transport drift speed and the drift speed of small surface floats, for the lower wave amplitudes. For the steepest waves there is good agreement between the data and recent developments of Longuet-Higgins. Surprisingly, the objects of deeper draft, such as a small spar-type buoy, drifted faster than the Stokes drift speed in the lower amplitude wave region of the tests. In the steepest waves the deeper buoys drifted a bit slower than the small objects.