A tool for safe and optimized use of a large port, wave energy and recreational areas.
By combining DHI’s numerical hydrodynamic and wave models with wind and pressure forecast, DHI has set up a user friendly web-based system for a large Danish port presenting 5-days forecasts of :
- Wind, wave, water level and current conditions at the port approach area and at the port entrance
- Wave and mooring conditions at all quays in the port
- Wave conditions and wave energy potential for a local wave energy test site
- Wind and wave conditions at one of the best surf spots in Europe
The values of such a system are obvious and many, eg.:
- Safe traffic to and from the port can be planned by forecasting conditions that may result in hazardous maneuvers such as entering the port with a strong current at the port entrance.
- Problematic mooring conditions at selected quays can be forecasted enabling the port master and the captains to plan loading/unloading operations and to optimize the mooring systems in time.
- Operations at the wave energy test center can be planned as well as the expected wave energy production.
- Wind and wave forecasts are of great value for the users of the surf area as the site attracts people from long distances.
Short about the Modeling System
A regional hydrodynamic and wave model covering the North Sea, Danish waters and the Baltic Sea has been established by DHI as a general water forecast tool for Danish waters. These models are forced by tidal predictions and wind fields obtained from meteorological models.
Local models around the site of interest transform and detail the waves and current conditions (using MIKE by DHI technology). Detailed wave conditions at all quays inside the port are computed by a time domain Boussinesq type wave model.
Define your own Alert
- Problems at the ferry terminal tomorrow ?
- Can we work at the wave energy site on Tuesday ?
- Going surfing in the week-end ?
The system not only presents the forecasts on the web – the users can define their own alerts by specifying when to be informed. Alerts are automatically sent out by Email and sms. This could eg. be when the wave height at a give location is forecasted to exceed a certain value or when the wind and waves are perfect for surfing.
Continues learning
The system files incidence/event reports meaning that the system stores information on user-defined events and in this way collects information for subsequent analysis and future planning.
Eg. a user can enter that the conditions were problematic today and the system will keep track of how often and when events with such conditions occur.