Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-79). / Thermodynamic analysis and numerical modeling of hurricane intensity has shown that its is controlled by the enthalpy transfer from the ocean surface and by drag. Direct measurements of drag, evaporation, and sensible heat transfer are not easily performed on the high seas. Therefore, a wind wave tank has been constructed in which a few aspects of a tropical storm are simulated. The air velocity inside the annular tank is comparable to that of hurricane. However, the three dimensionality of the tank obscures the quantitative comparison between experiments and actual conditions over the surface of the ocean at high wind speeds. The design of the wind wave tank and the initial experiments create a foundation for future and more comprehensive experimental programs. This thesis focuses mainly on the design and engineering of the tank, and on the fluid mechanics of the rotational flow in the tank. It also provides preliminary experimental data on the drag at high wind speeds obtained by using spindown experiments. / by Moshe Alamaro. / S.M.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/51587 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Alamaro, Moshe, 1948- |
| Contributors | Kerry Emanuel., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. |
| Publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Source Sets | M.I.T. Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 79 leaves, application/pdf |
| Rights | M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 |
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