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COASTAL ENVIRONMENT
Projects:
 Algorithms for Adaptive Sampling in Coastal Zone Environment This project will develop and test algorithms for planning cooperative adaptive sampling of the coastal zone and ocean environments via multiple autonomous underwater vehicles and autonomous surface craft. This would include measurements in all modalities available from other parts of the project via sensors mounted on these vehicles as well as on buoys and on bottom mounted sensors, and would be in association with the data assimilation, modeling and forecasting activities of the project.
 Time-Progressive Path Planning of AUVs for Adaptive Sampling (2-Vehicle Case)
Contact PI: Nicholas M. Patrikalakis
Algorithms for Creation of Solid Models from AUV Sensing Systems In the context of ship hull and near shore or harbor maritime structure inspection, we plan to develop algorithms for the creation of geometric models of underwater solid features using different sensing modalities (acoustical, vision, laser as appropriate) based on sensors mounted on autonomous surface and underwater vehicles. Handling uncertainty is a major component of this work.
Contact PI: Nicholas M. Patrikalakis
Experimental and Theoretical Modeling of Sediment Clouds This project will focus on problems of near-source sediment fate and transport, and associated water quality degradation and mitigation, caused by land reclamation/dredging operations, combining experimental and mathematical modeling studies. The experiments will look at the behavior of dense particle clouds and plumes, extending previous work done at MIT (Ruggaber) and NTU (Law). The modeling work will include the analysis and mathematical modeling of these flows, and updating their representation in standardized computer codes such as the Corps of Engineers STFATE and D-CORMIX. We will also explore strategies, involving Lagrangian tracking techniques, for representing these and other relatively small scale pollution sources into larger scale (Eulerian-based) numerical models of coastal circulation and water quality.
 The Sediment Cloud Problem
Contact PI: Eric Adams, Pete Shanahan
Coastal Environment and Sediment Transport The CEST objectives are to (i) develop small scale process models for hydrodynamics and sediment transport in the coastal environment; (ii) verify crucial aspects of these process models through laboratory experimentation in facilities designed as part of CEST for this purpose; and (iii) develop the necessary linkages to properly account for and incorporate small scale processes in larger, systems level models. The main theoretical work will involve the development of a combined wave-current sediment transport model that is integrated to remove temporal scales associated with individual wind-waves, thereby providing the proper bottom boundary conditions for large-scale numerical circulation models such as FVCOM or SLON. Other theoretical developments relate to the 3D generalization of a surf zone process model, which in turn will provide the proper coastal boundary condition for large-scale circulation and sediment transport models. The main experimental research will involve the design, construction, and testing of a unique Wave-Current-Sediment (WCS) interaction facility, envisioned as an improved version of the Delft Oscillating Water Tunnel (OWT). The WCS facility will be used to calibrate and validate the theoretical small-scale hydrodynamic and sediment transport process models. Other experimental studies on oblique wave-current interactions will be performed using an existing wave basin facility in the Hydraulics Laboratory at NUS.
 Layout for Oblique Wave-Current Interaction Experiments  Delft Oscillating Water Tunnel Apparatus
Contact PI: Ole Madsen
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