Verification Of New Double Suspention Keofloat To Minimise Wave Height Inaccuracies In A Physical Model Resulting From Rotation In A 3D Wave Agitataion Study

Abstract

A modification to the Keofloat system has been developed to address the effect that rotation about its vertical axes may have on the quantities effecting measurement accuracy of the system. The effect of rotation was not previously determined and was found to rarely occur in specific locations for some three-dimensional models. Consequently, the Keofloat design was modified from having a single suspension string to a double suspension string supporting it. A single and double suspension string Keofloat was tested in a wave flume to compare the modified Keofloat to what was previously used. Tests were conducted for regular waves between 0.5 mm and 23 mm and wave periods of 0.8 s and 1.6 s. The testing conducted, included two sets of tests, one for direct comparison where rotation was not present and the other where controlled and nonintrusive rotation was generated on the single suspension string Keofloat. The tests show that the double suspension string Keofloat compared extremely good to the single suspension string Keofloat and can reliably be used to measure small waves in a harbour basin where factors causing rotation of the Keofloat might be present.