arXiv subjects

Thomas Davey

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Davey.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Drawing with water waves

The deterministic reproduction of complex 3D wave fields remains a significant challenge in ocean engineering. This study proposes a novel methodology for drawing arbitrary 2D curves and 3D volumetric shapes on a water surface using transient multi-directional focused waves. To overcome the limitations of conventional discrete-point focusing methods, our framework integrates B\'ezier curve parametrisation, equal arc-length sampling, and an Iterative Amplitude Correction (IAC) algorithm. This effectively mitigates wave height overshoot and enables precise spatial superposition of spectral components. The method's effectiveness was validated through linear wave theory and Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations, successfully reproducing 2D characters and a 3D human face. Physical experiments in the FloWave circular wave basin further demonstrated target shape generation, such as a 2D star and 3D pyramid. Although further integration of nonlinear wave theories is necessary for high-amplitude accuracy, this technique establishes a deterministic methodology for creating arbitrary 2D and 3D surface geometries. It represents a significant advantage in wave field control for ocean engineering applications.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2022

Model-scale experiments of passive pitch control for tidal turbines

Tidal currents are renewable and predictable energy sources that could prove fundamental to decrease dependency from fossil fuels. Tidal currents, however, are highly unsteady and non uniform, resulting in undesirable load fluctuations on the blades and the drive train of turbines. A passive morphing blade concept capable to reduce the load fluctuations without affecting the mean loads has recently been formulated and demonstrated with numerical simulations (Pisetta et al., 2022). In this paper, we present the first demonstration of this morphing blade concept, through experimental tests on a 1.2 m diameter turbine. We show that fluctuations in the root-bending moment, thrust and torque are consistently reduced over a broad range of tip-speed ratios. This work also highlights some critical design aspects of morphing blades. For instance, it is showed that the friction resistance can substantially decrease the effectiveness of the system and thus must be minimised by design. Overall this paper demonstrates for the first time the effectiveness of morphing blades for tidal turbines, paving the way to the future development of this technology.

physics.flu-dyn↗