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Inversion of radar remote sensing images and deterministic prediction of ocean waves (completed)

About the project

Weather sensitive offshore operations will benefit from the possibility of real time predictions of the local wave surface conditions over time intervals of the order of seconds to minutes. This applies to dynamic positioning of vessels and marine operations such as float-over-installation, lifting operations, LNG loading connection, and helicopter take-off and landing, to mention a few. Such predictions would also warn against freak waves or dangerous wave groups. Another important application is alternative energy, where the prediction leads to enhanced extraction of power from floating wind turbines and, in particular, some wave power installations that are critically dependent on accurate dynamic control.

The current project aims to achieve a system making this possible by combining real time radar remote sensing and deterministic wave prediction.

An important step towards bringing these ideas into reality have been the recent advances in the inversion of X-band nautical radar imagery into real ocean surface elevation.

Practical demonstration efforts reported so far have been limited to linear wave models as well as a linearized inversion mechanism for the radar images. However, there is strong evidence that attention to nonlinear effects can substantially improve performance of both. We will focus attention on nonlinearity in the imaging mechanisms for nautical radar, the assimilation of radar data into wave prediction models, and the wave propagation model itself, with the goal of significantly improving the quality and extending the horizon of real time wave predictions.

Financing

University of Oslo (UiO) and Research Council of Norway (RCN) grant 214556/F20.

Published Feb. 13, 2012 1:26 PM - Last modified Jan. 2, 2023 2:04 PM

Participants

Detailed list of participants