Video Measurements of Large-Scale Flows in a Laboratory Wave Basin

• Published in: Journal of waterway, port, coastal, and ocean engineering Vol. 134; no. 1; pp. 12 - 20
• Main Authors: Haas, KA, Kennedy, AB, Sapp, B K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-02-2008
• ISSN: 0733-950X
• DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-950X

This paper describes nonintrusive optical techniques to measure large-scale O(10 m x 10 m) flows in a laboratory wave basin. Numerous drifters with weak positive flotation are tracked discretely and automatically using a video camera mounted near the laboratory ceiling. Processed drifter tracks are used for dense estimates of mean surface currents over the visible area. Examination of the drifter tracks also shows that waves are imaged and therefore basic wave properties may also be estimated, although this requires some further assumptions. These video based flow observations are presumed to have less precision than in situ measurements; however, the density of measurements from the video far exceeds that which can be obtained using fixed instruments, providing the method's major advantage.