Propositions accompanying the PhD-thesis

Wave S i m u l a t i o n i n Ti-uncated D o m a i n s for Offshore A p p l i c a t i o n s

by
P.R. Wellens
D e l f t U n i v e r s i t y o f T e c h n o l o g y , 12 J a n u a r y 2012

1. W e l l - d e s i g n e d a b s o r b i n g b o u n d a r y c o n d i t i o n s f o r w a v e s i m u l a t i o n s y i e l d better
r e s u l t s w i t h less c o m p u t a t i o n a l e f f o r t c o m p a r e d t o d i s s i p a t i o n zones ( t h i s t h e s i s ) .

2. O n l y b y i m p r o v i n g b o t h t h e n u m e r i c a l scheme f o r t h e c o n v e c t i v e t e r m i n t h e
m o m e n t u m e q u a t i o n a n d t h e f l u i d d i s p l a c e m e n t a l g o r i t h m c a n s p u r i o u s w a v e en-
e r g y d i s s i p a t i o n be r e d u c e d c o m p a r e d t o first o r d e r u p w i n d f o r c o n v e c t i o n a n d
s t a n d a r d H i r t a n d N i c h o l s (1981) f o r t h e f r e e s u r f a c e ( t h i s t h e s i s ) .

3. I n t h e d e s i g n o f t h e a b s o r b i n g b o u n d a r y c o n d i t i o n , i t is b e t t e r t o a p p r o x i m a t e
the dispersion relation w i t h r a t i o n a l polynomials t h a n w i t h other types of poly-
n o m i a l , d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t t h e values o f t h e c o e f f i c i e n t s i n t h e a p p r o x i m a t i o n
are c o n s t r a i n e d t o p r e v e n t s t a b i l i t y issues ( t h i s t h e s i s ) .

4. I t is u n w i s e t o g e n e r a t e i r r e g u l a r waves w i t h l i n e a r t h e o r y w h e n one wishes t o

compare a simulation to an experiment. Smaller differences between s i m u l a t i o n
r e s u l t s a n d m e a s u r e m e n t s c a n be o b t a i n e d w h e n w a v e g e n e r a t i o n is t a k e n care o f
w i t h a w a v e b o a r d ( j u s t as i n t h e e x p e r i m e n t ) i n a s u i t a b l e n u m e r i c a l m o d e l a n d
flow v e l o c i t y a n d s u r f a c e e l e v a t i o n o u t p u t is used as a n i n p u t b o u n d a r y c o n d i t i o n
for t h e target d o m a i n (this thesis).

5. O n l y w i t h a s o l u t i o n f o r t h e b o u n d a r y c o n d i t i o n o f t h e b o u n d a r y c o n d i t i o n can
t h e r e s e a r c h i n t o t h e m e t h o d f o r a b s o r b i n g l o n g - c r e s t e d w a v e w i t h second o r d e r
derivatives i n v e r t i c a l d i r e c t i o n be concluded (this thesis).

6. O n e e n c o u n t e r s a t t i t u d e s p r e d o m i n a n t l y w i t h p e o p l e t h a t c a n a f f o r d n o t t o have
t h e m . T r u l y r i c h is h e w h o realizes t h a t he o w n s n o t h i n g a n d f i n d s t h a t m o r e is
not required.

7. C u t t i n g b a c k o n c l e a n i n g costs a t s e m i - g o v e r n m e n t a l i n s t i t u t i o n s is e f f e c t i v e i n
m o r e w a y s t h a n one: t h e r e is n o t j u s t t h e cost r e d u c t i o n , b u t w h e n t h e l o o is t o o
d i r t y t o l o o k a t , employees are less e n c l i n e d t o go a n d c a n w o r k l o n g e r as a r e s u l t .

8. T h e c u r r e n t p o l i t i c a l s y s t e m is a r e m n a n t f r o m d a y s w i t h g r e a t s e g r e g a t i o n be-
tween people f r o m d i f f e r e n t religious backgrounds, socialists a n d liberals. At
present, t h e largest c o n f r o n t a t i o n s i n society occur between groups o f people w i t h
d i f f e r e n t e d u c a t i o n a l b a c k g r o u n d , e t h n i c g r o u p s a n d w i t h d i f f e r e n t age. T h e p o l i t -
i c a l s y s t e m i n t h e N e t h e r l a n d s s h o u l d r e f l e c t these m o d e r n c o n f r o n t a t i o n s r a t h e r
t h a n t h e ones f r o m t h e p a s t .

9. O n e t h a t r e q u i r e s a m a n i f e s t o t o e x p l a i n w h a t he has j u s t d e s i g n e d , s h o u l d t a k e t o
w r i t i n g l i t e r a t u r e i n t h e f u t u r e , a n d d e v o t e h i m s e l f t o d o g houses as a n a r c h i t e c t .

10. T h e p u r e s t t h i n g a b o u t science is t h a t y o u c a n a p p l y i t .

T h e s e p r o p o s i t i o n s are r e g a r d e d as o p p o s a b l e a n d d e f e n d a b l e , a n d h a v e b e e n ap-
p r o v e d as s u c h b y t h e s u p e r v i s o r s p r o f . d r . i r . R . H . M . H u i j s m a n s a n d p r o f . d r . A . E . P .
Veldman.