Ocean Wave Hydrodynamics
Tutorial Problems
Group Member1 Member2 Member3 Member4 Member5 Member 6 Questions to sol
1 Q1-Q3
2 Q4-Q6
3 Q7-Q10
4 Q11-13
5 Q14-16
6 Q17-Q19
7 Q20-22
8 Q23-Q25
9 Q26-Q28
The people who are not in this list will not get the assignment marks!.
Q1. A wave in water 100 m deep has a period of 10 s and a height of 2 m. Determine the
wave celerity, length, and steepness.
(i) What is the water particle speed at the wave crest?
ii) When it propagate near to the near shore at depth of 2.3 m. Calculate the wave
celerity and length.
iii) when it has propagated into a water depth of 10 m without refracting and assuming energy
gains and losses can be ignored. Determine the wave height and the water particle velocity
and pressure at a point 1 m below the still water level under the wave crest. (Assume
freshwater.)
Ans: 0.63m/s; C = 4.75m/s; L = 47.5m; H = 1.97m, u = 1.01m/s. P = 19,113 N/m2
Q2. 1. Atwo-dimensional wave tank has a still water depth of 1.9 m and a 1:20 plane slope
installed with its toe at the tank midpoint. The tank is 1 m wide. A wave generator produces
monochromatic waves that, when measured at a wave gage installed before the toe of the
slope, have a height of 0.5 m and a period of 2.8 s.
(a) Determine the wave length, celerity, group celerity, energy, and energy density at the
wave gage.
(b) At the instant that a wave crest passes the wave gage, determine the water particle
velocity and acceleration below the gage at mid depth.
(c) Is the wave passing the gage a deep water wave? If not, what would the equivalent deep
water length, celerity, group celerity, energy, and energy density be? Compare these values to
those in part a.
Q3. An ocean bottom-mounted pressure sensor measures a reversing pressure as a train of
swells propagates past the sensor toward the shore. The pressure fluctuations have a 5.5 s
period and vary from a maximum of 54.3kN/m2 to a minimum of 41.2kN/m2.
(a) How deep is the pressure sensor (and bottom) below the still water level?
(b) Determine the wave height, celerity, group celerity, energy, and power as it passes the
sensor.
(c) As a wave crest is passing the sensor determine the water particle velocity and
acceleration at a point 1.5 m above the bottom.
(d) Calculate the deep water wave celerity, length, group celerity, energy, and power if the
wave propagates along a line perpendicular to the shore without refracting.
Q4. A pressure gage located 1 m off the bottom in water 10 m deep measures an average
maximum pressure of 100kN/m2 having an average fluctuation period of 12 s. Determine the
height and period of the wave causing the measured pressure fluctuation.
Q5. A wave having a height of 2.4 m and a period of 8 s in deep water is propagating toward
the shore without refracting. A water particle velocity of 0.25 m/s on the bottom is required to
initiate movement of the sand on the sea floor. At what water depth will sand movement
commence as the wave shoals?
Q6. Offshore, in deep water, a wave gage measures the height and period of a train of waves
to be 2 m and 7.5 s, respectively. The wave train propagates toward the shore in a normal
direction without refracting and the nearshore bottom slope is 1:40. It passes the outer end of
a pier located in water 4.5 m deep.
(a) Determine the wave length, celerity, group celerity, energy density, and power in deep
water.
(b) Determine the wave length, height, celerity, group celerity, energy density, and power at
the end of the pier. Is this a deep, transitional or shallow water wave at the end of the pier?
(c) At the instant that a wave crest passes the end of the pier, what is the pressure at a point 2
m below the still water level?
(d) Calculate the horizontal components of the water particle velocity and acceleration at this
point 2 m below the still water level 1 s before the wave crest passes the end of the pier.
Q7. A vertical wall positioned in water depth of 15m experiences standing wave height 4m
with T = 12s. Determine (a) horizontal water particle velocity at the node and the vertical
water particle velocity at the anti-node corresponding to z = 0 (b) safe deck level for the
upright wall to avoid wave overtopping; (c) if a discharge pipe is located at z = -14m with its
outlet flushed with the wall, determine the dynamic pressure due to standing wave at the pipe
outlet. If the pipe outlet is not supposed to experience any dynamic pressure due to the
standing wave, determine its position w.r.t the wall.
Ans: usw,max = 1.737m/s; wsw,max = 1.044 m/s; deck level = 3m;Psw,max = 16156 N/m2; x =
33.83m.
Q8- A wave flume is filled with fresh water to a depth of 5m. A wave of height 1m and
period, 4 sec. is generated. Calculate the wave celerity, group celerity, energy and power.
Ans- Celerity= 5.55m/s, Group Celerity = 3.71m/s, Energy = 125kg/m, Power =
463.75kg/sec
Q9- Oscillatory surface waves were observed in deep water and the wave period was found to
be 6.7 sec.
(i) At what bottom depth would the phase velocity begin to be changed by the decreasing
water depth?
(ii) What is the phase velocity at a bottom depth of 15.3 m and 3.06 m?
(iii) Compute the ratio of Celerity at the above water depths to the deep water celerities.
Ans- (i) the celerity will change, when water depth is less than 35.01m.
(ii) At d = 15.3 m, C=9.48m/s, at d = 3.06 m, C= 5.24m/s.
(iii) At d = 15.3m, ratio=0.907, at d = 3.06m, ratio= 0.501
Q10- A wave flume is filled with fresh water to a depth of 5m. A deep-water wave height 2m
and time period, 4 sec. is generated. For a given n=0.6689, calculate the wave celerity, group
celerity, energy and power.
Ans- Energy=418.6kg/m, Power=1557.22kg/s.
Q11- A wave of height 3m and period, 6 sec. is generated. Calculate the wave celerity, group
celerity, energy and power in water depths, 2m, 5m and 10m.
Ans- At d=2m Celerity=4.3m/s, Group Celerity=3.99m/s
At d=5m Celerity=6.34m/s, Group Celerity=5.26m/s
At d=10m Celerity=8.06m/s, Group Celerity=5.59m/s
Q12- Consider a particle initially 3.06m below the SWL and 12.24 m above the sea bed.
After the wave motion is established, what is the size and character of the orbit of the
particle? Repeat the calculations for the particle at the surface and the other at the sea bed. T
= 6.7 sec and Ho =3.06m.
Ans- The particles will move in elliptical orbit.
At z = -3.06 m Semi Major axis (D)= 1.1923m, Semi minor axis (B)= 0.9969m
At the surface, z = 0, D= 1.55m, B=1.417m
Q13- The semi major axis and semi minor axis are 1.1m and 1.0m at z = -2m. Calculate the
water depth, time period, wave height corresponding to this, as well as deep water wave
height when k = 0.14 and also find the displacement at z=-5 m, at sea bed and at free surface.
Ans- At z = -2, H0=2.93m, At the, sea bed z = 0, D=1.44,B=1.435m, z = -19 m D=.02 B=0
Z=-5 m D=.73 B=0.7m
Q14-Consider a particle initially 5m below the SWL and 20 m above the sea bed. After the
wave motion is established, what is the size and character of the orbit of the particle. Repeat
the calculations for the particle at the surface and the other at the sea bed. L=33m and a=2 m.
Ans-At Z=-5 m D=0.774, B=0.774m,At z = 0 D=2 B=2m,At z=-25 D=.035 B=0m
Q15- For a wave of height 2m and period 7 secs, plot the variation of orbital velocity and
acceleration in the vertical and horizontal directions of a particle at a position 4m below SWL
and 20 m above the sea bed. Estimate the maximum velocities at this position, at SWL and at
the sea bed.
−.603 m 0.56 m
Ans- At z=-4m Umax=0.672m Wmax=-0.628m/sec u̇= ẇ=
sec 2 sec 2
At z=-24m Umax=0.238 Wmax=-0.0m/sec u̇=−0.213 ẇ=0
Q16- Determine the maximum orbital velocities and accelerations in the horizontal and
vertical directions of the particle at a position (i) 3.06m below SWL and 12.24 above the sea
floor (ii) at SWL and at the sea bed for H = 2.82 m and T = 6.7 sec.
Ans- For z = -3.06m U= 1.119 W= -1.04m/secu̇=−1.04 ẇ=−0.88 m/sec2
Q17- A wave with a height, 5.5m and period, 8 secs propagates in a water depth of 15m.
Determine the local horizontal and vertical velocities at a depth 3m below the SWL when
phase angle is 60o.
Ans- U= 2.21 W= -0.80m/sec
Q18- A wave of height 5.5m and wave length of 81.79m propagates in a water depth of 15m.
Determine the local horizontal and vertical velocities at depth 3m below the SWL at a
position one fifth ahead of the wave crest.
Ans- At z = -3m, U=0.68 W= 1.52m/sec
Q19- A wave of height H = 3m and wave period T = 10s, propagates in a water depth of 12m,
the corresponding deep-water wave height Ho = 3.5m. Estimate,
(a) The horizontal and vertical displacements from its mean position at z = 0 and Z=-d.
(b) The maximum water particle displacements at a depth of 7.50m below SWL, Where the
wave is in deep water.
(c) For the deep water conditions of above show that the water particle Displacements are
small relative to the wave height at Z= (-h/2)
(d) Also, compare the water particle displacements in deep water conditions for the
corresponding deep-water wave height, Ho = 3.5m and wave period T = 15s at z = -7.5m
Ans- At Z=0m D=2.3 B=1.4m
At Z=-12m D=1.8m B=0
At Z= -7.5m, D = B = 1.29m
At Z=L/2, D=B= 0.075m
If z=-0.2depth, for T=15secs and 10secs, B=D=1.67m for the former and B=D=1.37m for
the later, indicating that the displacement for longer period wave, the displacement is
more.
Q20- Aerial photographs of a coastal line displayed the presence of two wave systems. One
with crests 60m apart and another with crests at 12m spacing. Timing of major breaking on
the beach in the same period indicated the wave period to be10 sec., for the longer wave.
What was the depth of water in the zone of wave observation and what was the period of the
minor wavesystem?
Ans- T=2.8sec
Q21- Ocean waves measure 90m from crest to crest when travelling at a point at a speed of
32 km/hr. Find the depth in the ocean at this point and the period of waves. If the waves were
fully grown and their steepness, H/L = 1/23, what is the wave height?
Ans- H= 3.91m
Q22- If a pressure sensing instrument is set up at 4m below SWL in a water depth of 20m,
determine the phase distribution of pressure head this instrument would record. Plot this
pressure head against phase and compare this result to the phase variation of hydrostatic
pressure. The wave height is 2m and period is 10 sec. and γ = 1020 kg/m3
Ans- P=538kg/m2
Q23- A subsurface pressure type recorder is installed at a depth of 6m at the point where
water depth is 8m. The average maximum pressure and the period registered by the recorder
are 3060 kg/m3 and 9.2 sec respectively. Compute η, γ = 1020 kg/m3.
Ans= -3.62m
Q24- An average maximum pressure of 12500 kg/m 2 is measured by a sub surface pressure
recorder located at 0.6m above the sea bed in a water depth of 12m. The average wave
frequency is 0.0666 cycles/sec. and γ = 1025 kg/m3. Determine the wave height.
Ans= H=1.78m
Q25- Water depth,d =12m, Wave period, T=10sec and Wave height, H=1.0m
(a) Calculate mass transport velocity, u(z) for z=0 to –d and find out the effect of z/d on u(z)
(b) d=12m, T=10sec and H=0.5 to 9m at 0.5m interval. Find the effect of H/L on u(z) at
z=0.0
(c) d=12m, H=2.0m and T=5 to 15sec at every 1sec interval. Find the effect of d/L on u(z) at
z=0.0
Q26- A Wave with period T = 8s, in a water depth of 15m, and wave height of 5.5m. Find the
local horizontal and vertical velocities u and w, and accelerations αx and αz at an elevation z
= -5 m (or z = -16.4 ft) below the SWL when θ = 2πx/L - 2πt/T = π/3 (or 600).
Ans- u=0.99 m/s, w= 1.11 m/s
Αx= 1.35 m/sec2, az= -0.50 m/sec2
Q27- A wave having a deep water height of 4 m and a period of 11 s shoals with negligible
refraction and breaks on a beach slope of 1:20. Determine the wave height and water depth
just before the wave breaks.
Ans- Hb = 5.6m, db = 4.5m
Q28. Waves with a period of 10 s and a deep water height of 1 m arrive normal to the shore
without refracting. A 100-m long device that converts wave motion to electric power is
installed parallel to the shore in water 6 m deep. If the device is 45% efficient what power is
generated?
