OCEN 671

Ocean Wave Mechanics

Chang Xu Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Ocean Engineering
Texas A&M University
Instructor information

• Dr. Chang Xu
• Ph.D. Ocean Engineering (focus on experimental fluid mechanics and ocean
wave mechanics)
• Research interests – Gravity-capillary waves, Breaking waves, Non-Intrusive
flow measurement techniques
Class Time & Location

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 09:35am-10:50am. PMEC

145
Textbook:
• Dean & Dalrymple, Water Wave Mechanics for Engineers and Scientists. World
Scientific

Office Hours: R 02:30pm – 03:30 pm

PMEC 135
Course Topics
1 (08/19) Review of fluid mechanics, Bernoulli equation.
2 (08/26) Potential flow, vector analysis
3 (09/02) Boundary value problem, linear wave theory
4 (09/09) Linear wave theory (cont.), wave kinematics.
5 (09/16) Pressure fields, dispersion relations.
6 (09/23) Wave energy, group velocity.
7 (09/30) Wave statistics and spectra.
8 (10/07) Midterm
9 (10/14) Wave statistics and spectra (cont.)
10 (10/21) Wave in shallow water
11 (10/28) Wave breaking (deepwater and shoaling)
12 (11/04) Second order stokes waves.
13 (11/11) Stokes drift, radiation stress.
14 (11/18) Introduction to wave modeling
15 (11/25) Summary & review
3
Grading policy

30% Homework
35% Midterm
35% Final

90% ≤ A
80% ≤ B < 90%
70% ≤ C < 80%
60% ≤ D < 70%
F < 60%

7
Vector Analysis Review

𝑎റ = 𝑎𝑥 𝑖റ + 𝑎𝑦 𝑗റ + 𝑎𝑧 𝑘 or 𝑎റ = (𝑎𝑥 , 𝑎𝑦 , 𝑎𝑧 )

Dot product:
𝑎റ ∙ 𝑏 = 𝑎 𝑏 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑎𝑧 𝑏𝑧

Cross product:
𝑖റ 𝑗റ 𝑘
𝑎റ × 𝑏 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧 = 𝑎y 𝑏𝑧 − 𝑎𝑧 𝑏𝑦 𝑖റ + 𝑎𝑧 𝑏𝑥 − 𝑎𝑥 𝑏𝑧 𝑗റ + 𝑎𝑥 𝑏𝑦 − 𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑥 𝑘
𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧
 Vector Analysis Review
Gradient of a scalar field 𝑇 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 is a vector:

𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑇
∇𝑇 = 𝑖റ + 𝑗റ + 𝑘= , ,
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
Divergence of a vector field 𝑎റ 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 is a scalar:
Indicates the direction of maximum change of a scalar field.
𝜕𝑎𝑥 𝜕𝑎𝑦 𝜕𝑎𝑧
∇ ∙ 𝑎റ = + +
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

Divergence of the Gradient of a scalar field 𝑇 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 :

𝜕 2𝑇 𝜕 2𝑇 𝜕 2𝑇
∇ ∙ ∇𝑇 = 2 + 2 + 2 = ∇2𝑇
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
The Laplacian operator
 Vector Analysis Review
Curl of a vector field 𝑎റ 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 is a vector:

𝑖റ 𝑗റ 𝑘
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕𝑎𝑥 𝜕𝑎𝑦 𝜕𝑎𝑥 𝜕𝑎𝑧 𝜕𝑎𝑦 𝜕𝑎𝑥
∇ × 𝑎റ = = − 𝑖റ + − 𝑗റ + − 𝑘
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧

The curl of a velocity vector is a measure of the rotation in the velocity field

Divergence of the curl of 𝑎റ

𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕𝑎𝑥 𝜕𝑎𝑦 𝜕𝑎𝑥 𝜕𝑎𝑧 𝜕𝑎𝑦 𝜕𝑎𝑥

∇ ∙ ∇ × 𝑎റ = 𝑖റ + 𝑗റ + 𝑘 ∙ − 𝑖റ + − 𝑗റ + − 𝑘 =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦

This is an identity for any vector that has continuous first and second derivative
 Fluid Mechanics Review

Two coordinates
1. Eulerian: The property of the flow
(velocity, pressure…) at a point are
described as a function of position in
space and time.

2. Lagrangian: Specifies the properties of

a fluid element given its initial position
(𝑥0 , 𝑦0 , 𝑧0 )
Fluid Mechanics Review
We want to use Eulerian coordinate to describe The change of the property 𝛼 over time:
the property of a single fluid particle.
𝐷𝛼 𝜕𝛼 𝜕𝛼 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝛼 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝛼 𝜕𝑧
= + + +
Use 𝛼 to represent a property. (pressure, velocity) 𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
Lagrangian: 𝛼(𝑥0 , 𝑦0 , 𝑧0 , 𝑡) 𝜕𝛼 𝜕𝛼 𝜕𝛼 𝜕𝛼
Eulerian: 𝛼(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧, 𝑡) = +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

At time t, 𝛼 𝑥0 , 𝑦0 , 𝑧0 , 𝑡 = 𝛼(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧, 𝑡) In vector notation:

𝐷𝛼 𝜕𝛼
= + 𝑢 ∙ ∇𝛼
𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡
Fluid Mechanics Review
The derivative:
𝐷𝑢 𝜕𝑢
𝐷𝛼 𝜕𝛼 = + 𝑢∙∇ 𝑢
= + 𝑢 ∙ ∇𝛼 𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡
𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡

is called Material derivative. 𝐷𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢

= +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤
𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
If the property of interst 𝛼 is velocity, then 𝐷𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣
𝐷𝑢
= +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤
represents the rate of change of the 𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝐷𝑡 𝐷𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤
velocity (acceleration) if a fluid particle as = +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤
𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
we follow the fluid
Fluid Mechanics Review
Conservation of mass:
Hence,
𝐷𝑀 𝜕𝑀 𝜕𝑀 𝜕𝑀 𝜕𝑀
= +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤 =0 1 𝐷𝑉 𝐷𝜌
𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜌 + =0
𝑉 𝐷𝑡 𝐷𝑡
𝑀 = 𝜌𝑉 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝜌 𝜕𝜌 𝜕𝜌 𝜕𝜌
𝜌 + + + +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤 =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝐷(𝜌𝑉) 𝐷𝑉 𝐷𝜌
=𝜌 +𝑉 =0 or
𝐷𝑡 𝐷𝑡 𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝜌 𝜕(𝜌𝑢) 𝜕 𝜌𝑢 𝜕(𝜌𝑢)
+ + + =0
1 𝐷𝑉
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
represents the dilatation or normal-strain rate:
𝑉 𝐷𝑡
Change of volume per unit volume per unit time. in vector notation:

1 𝐷𝑉 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝜌
= + + =∇∙𝑢 + ∇ ∙ 𝜌𝑢 = 0
𝑉 𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
Fluid Mechanics Review
Conservation of mass:
Conservation of momentum:
𝜕𝜌 𝐹റ = 𝑚𝑎റ
+ ∇ ∙ 𝜌𝑢 = 0
𝜕𝑡 LHS:

If steady:
∇ ∙ 𝜌𝑢 = 0

If incompressible:
∇∙𝑢 =0
i.e.
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑤
+ + =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
Fluid Mechanics Review
Conservation of momentum:
Consider inviscid flow, i.e. no shear stress, only normal stress
𝐹റ = 𝑚𝑎റ (Pressure)
𝜎𝑥𝑥 = 𝜎𝑦𝑦 = 𝜎𝑧𝑧 = 𝑝
LHS, the force:
The surface force on the fluid particle in the x-direction:

𝜕𝑝
𝛿𝐹𝑥 = − 𝛿𝑥𝛿𝑦𝛿𝑧
𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝑝
𝛿𝐹𝑦 = − 𝛿𝑥𝛿𝑦𝛿𝑧
𝜕𝑦

𝜕𝑝
𝛿𝐹𝑧 = − 𝛿𝑥𝛿𝑦𝛿𝑧
𝜕𝑧
Fluid Mechanics Review
Rewrite the equations in x-direction:
Conservation of momentum:
𝜕𝑝 𝐷𝑢
𝐹റ = 𝑚𝑎റ 𝛿𝐹𝑥 = − 𝛿𝑥𝛿𝑦𝛿𝑧 = 𝑚
𝜕𝑥 𝐷𝑡

RHS, the acceleration: 𝜕𝑝 𝐷𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢

− =𝜌 =𝜌 +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤
𝜕𝑥 𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝐷𝑢 𝜕𝑢
𝑎റ = = + 𝑢∙∇ 𝑢 Thus:
𝐷𝑡 𝜕𝑡
𝜕𝑝 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢
− =𝜌 +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

𝜕𝑝 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 Euler’s equations
− =𝜌 +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

𝜕𝑝 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤
− − 𝜌𝑔 = 𝜌 +𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧