3.2.

3 Horizontal water particle velocities with crest height as amplitude

Now by changing the amplitude to the crest height (Ϛ0 = 17.81) obtained from chapter 2.4, we
can see the differences with a larger amplitude and more realistic to a real wave. The same
calculations methods are used as above for half the wave height. Except the only period
required to check is the 𝑇𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 period according to [2]. The reason for only 𝑇𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 is shown are
because of this value is sufficient for an approximation on the 100-year extreme crest height
value as mention in [2]. 𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛 would have been a to large estimate for the loads later on. Results
of this is plot and shown in figure 3.6. Note that the comparison plot between half the wave
height and crest height as amplitude can be found at chapter 3.4.

Figure 3.6. Horizontal particle velocity with crest height as amplitude (Ϛ0=17.81), and Tmean = 15.69s using different estimation
methods above the surface level.

We can clearly see from figure 3.6 that a larger amplitude will obtain a larger horizontal particle
velocity by comparing with figure 3.4. This is because of the formula of horizontal particle
velocity, where an increase in the amplitude the velocity in general will increase. The theoretical
solution for this is when an increase in wave height occurs, the distance the water molecules
need to travel for one period would increase. The particle velocity has to increase to travel the
increased distance on the same time since the time period is the same. This is why we have a
larger horizontal particle velocity with a higher amplitude and same period.

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