Estimation of the wind drift factor and uncertainty analysis based on CFD computer simulations
ISSN: 0264-4401
Article publication date: 26 May 2023
Issue publication date: 2 June 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this work is to present a procedure for determining the wind drift factor through two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the wind acting on a wavy sea surface, such that the subjectivity of its estimation is reduced.
Design/methodology/approach
The wind drift factor was determined by two-dimensional CFD analyses with open-channel condition. The characteristic wave was determined by the Sverdrup–Munk–Bretschneider (SMB) method. The uncertainty analysis is based on convergence studies using a single parameter refinement (grid and time step).
Findings
This procedure allows the estimation of the wind drift factor in a fetch-limited domain. The domain's value in the analyzed region is 0.0519 ± 4.92% which is consistent with the upper values of the wind drift factors reported in the literature.
Research limitations/implications
The use of a three-dimensional domain was impractical with the available computational resources because of the fine mesh required for wave modeling. The uncertainty analysis consisted only of a verification procedure. Validation against real data was not possible because of the lack of measured data in the analyzed region.
Originality/value
The wind drift factor is usually estimated based on either experience or random sampling. The original contribution of this work is the presentation of a CFD procedure for estimating the wind drift factor, in which the domain inlet is subjected to a wave boundary condition and to a wind velocity.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis – ANP, by Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos – FINEP’, and by Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação – MCTI, through the Programa de Recursos Humanos da ANP para o Setor Petróleo e Gás – PRH-ANP/MCTI’. Prof. Marcelo Martins also wishes to acknowledge his support from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) through grant 308712/2019-6. The authors would like to acknowledge and thank the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNLL) for providing the Salish Model Application Solution Files used in this research in the determination of the seawater property data.
Citation
Sbragio, R. and Martins, M.R. (2023), "Estimation of the wind drift factor and uncertainty analysis based on CFD computer simulations", Engineering Computations, Vol. 40 No. 3, pp. 679-693. https://doi.org/10.1108/EC-07-2022-0489
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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