CN104781486B - Surface gravity wave generators and wave pools - Google Patents

Abstract

A wave pool (100) for generating surfable waves, wherein the wave pool defines a trough (106) having a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a bottom, a contour of the bottom sloping upward from a deep area adjacent the first sidewall toward a sill (206) defined by the second sidewall, the wave pool (100) further comprising at least one foil (302) at least partially submerged in the water adjacent the sidewall and adapted to be moved by a moving mechanism in a direction along the sidewall to generate waves in the trough that form a breaking wave on the sill, wherein the wave pool (100) further comprises one or more passive flow control mechanisms to mitigate mean flow of the water caused by movement of the at least one foil in the direction along the sidewall.

Description

Surface gravity wave generators and wave pools

Cross References to Related Applications

Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §120, this application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application 13/612,716, filed September 12, 2012, entitled "Surface GravityWave Generator And Wave Pool," which was filed on November 2008 US Patent Application 12/274,321, filed on the 19th, entitled "Surface Gravity Wave Generator And Wave Pool," is a continuation-in-part of US Patent Application 12/274,321, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

technical field

The present application relates to wave pools, and more particularly to a wave pool having at least one fin for generating waves in the wave pool and one or more fins for slowing mean currents, sudden surges and false tides in the wave pool caused by the fins. Wave pool with passive control mechanism.

Background technique

Ocean waves have been used for entertainment for hundreds of years. One of the most popular sports at any beach with a well-shaped breaking wave is surfing. Surfing and other wakeboarding activities have actually become so popular that the water near any break break suitable for surfing is usually crowded and overloaded with so many surfers that each surfer has to Compete for each wave and have a limited amount of time active. Furthermore, the majority of the earth's population does not even have suitable access to waves in order to enjoy surfing or other wave sports.

Another problem is that the waves at any one location are variable and inconsistent, with occasional "groups" of satisfactorily shaped waves needed for a human ride, interspersed with less desirable ones at some point. unrideable waves. Even when a surfer manages to ride a chosen wave, the average ride duration lasts only 2-30 seconds, with most rides being between 5 and 10 seconds long.

Sea surface waves are waves that propagate along the interface between water and air, and the restoring force is provided by gravity, so they are often called surface gravity waves. Figure 1 shows the principles governing surface gravity waves entering shallow water. Waves in deep water generally have a constant wavelength. When a wave interacts with the ocean floor, it begins to "shallow". Typically, this occurs when the depth becomes shallower than half the wave's wavelength, the wavelength becomes shorter and the wave amplitude increases. As wave amplitude increases, waves can become unstable because their crests move faster than their troughs. When the wave amplitude is about 80% of the water depth, the wave starts to "break" and we get a surf. This rising and breaking process depends on the dip and profile of the beach, the angle at which the waves approach the beach, and the water depth and characteristics of the deep water waves approaching the beach. The refraction and concentration of these waves is possible through changes to the topography of the bottom.

Ocean waves generally have five stages: generation, propagation, shallowing, breaking, and decay. Shallowing and breaking stages are the most desirable for rideable waves. The breaking point is strongly dependent not only on the ratio of water depth to wave amplitude, but also on the contour, depth and shape of the seafloor. Also, wave speed, wavelength, and height may contribute to wave breaking, among other factors. In general, waves can be described as resulting in four major breaker types: break, roll, rip, and roll. Of these wave types, breakers are more preferred by beginner surfers, while breakers are revered by more experienced surfers. These breaker types are shown in Figure 2.

Various systems and technologies have attempted to replicate ocean waves in man-made environments. Some of these systems involve directing a fast-moving, relatively shallow sheet of water against solid-shaped waves to create a rideable water effect that isn't actually a wave. Other systems utilize linearly actuated paddles, hydraulic or pneumatic buoys, or simply large controlled injections of water to generate the actual waves. However, all of these systems are inefficient at converting energy into "waves," and for various reasons and drawbacks, none of these systems have come close to producing the waves that replicate what is needed for a human ride The desired size, shape, speed and breaking of the most pleasing wave, ie a breaking into roll shallow water, breaking in a tubular fashion, having a relatively long duration and sufficient surface for the surfer to maneuver.

Contents of the invention

This document proposes a wave generator system and wave pool that generate surface gravity waves that can be ridden by a user on a surfboard.

The wave pool includes a pool for containing water and defining a channel having a first side wall, a second side wall and a bottom, the bottom is contoured from a deep region adjacent to the first side wall toward the surface formed by the second side wall. The defined sill slopes upward. The wave pool also includes at least one fin at least partially submerged in water near the side wall and adapted to be moved by the movement mechanism in a direction along the side wall to generate at least one wave in the groove, which is at the sill breaking waves formed on the

In one aspect, the wave pool includes one or more passive flow control mechanisms to slow the mean flow of water caused by movement of the at least one fin in a direction along the sidewall. In another aspect, the wave pool includes one or more passive flow control gutter mechanisms to slow the flow of water in the water caused by movement of the at least one fin in a direction along the sidewall. In yet another aspect, the wave pool includes a passive break and false tide control mechanism to mitigate random breaks and false tides in the water at least partially caused by the at least one fin in a direction along the side wall The movement on the surface is caused at least in part by the shape and profile of the groove. In yet another aspect, the wave pool may include any or all of the control mechanisms described above to control and/or minimize water flow in addition to the primary surface gravity waves generated by each of said at least one fin , mutation or secondary waves.

The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Description of drawings

These and other aspects will now be described in detail with reference to the following figures.

Figure 1 depicts the characteristics of waves entering shallow water.

Figure 2 illustrates four general types of breaking waves.

3A and 3B are top and side views, respectively, of a pool having a ring shape.

Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of the bottom profile of the pool.

Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment of a pool in a ring configuration, and a wave generator on the inner wall of the pool.

Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment of a portion of a pool in an annular configuration with wave generators arranged vertically along the outer wall.

7A and 7B are perspective and cross-sectional views, respectively, to illustrate an embodiment of the shape of the fins for the linear portion of the wall.

Figure 8A illustrates a portion of an embodiment of an airfoil 500 comprising eccentric rollers.

8B and 8C illustrate an embodiment of an airfoil 500 with several modified rollers.

Figure 9 illustrates the relative geometry of the speed of wave propagation with respect to the blade speed.

Figure 10 illustrates an embodiment of a wave generator pool in which a rotating inner wall is located within a fixed outer wall.

Figure 11 illustrates an embodiment of a wave generator in which a flexible layer is placed on an outer wall comprising a number of linear actuators for placement around the entire length or circumference of the outer wall.

Figure 12 illustrates an embodiment of a wave generator with a flexible layer placed on the outer wall.

Figure 13 illustrates an embodiment of a wave generator comprising a flexible layer that can be raised away from the outer wall to define an airfoil.

Figure 14 illustrates an embodiment of a vortex generator having elongated elements with a square cross-section. Figure 15 illustrates another embodiment of a vortex generator having laterally and longitudinally spaced square elements.

Figure 16 illustrates an embodiment of a vortex generator mounted both on the bottom portion adjacent to the outer gutter of the tank and on the lower portion of the outer gutter wall of the tank.

Figure 17 illustrates an embodiment of a vortex generator having a non-linear shape, such as angled or curved.

Figure 18 illustrates an embodiment of a smooth (curved) pool profile where the vortex generators contact the side walls or bottom.

Figure 19 illustrates an embodiment of at least a portion of the cavity near the inner island of the pool fitted with a series of angled vanes.

Figure 20 illustrates an embodiment of a pool with an inner and outer gutter system between the fins and the wave generating mechanism and the outer wall of the tank.

Figure 21 illustrates an embodiment of a flow diversion gutter system on a sloping beach.

Figure 22 illustrates an embodiment of the implementation of gutters and/or baffles, which can be used as perforated walls.

Figure 23 illustrates an example of the time evolution of waves resulting from a moving foil, including incident and reflected wave(s).

Figure 24 illustrates an embodiment of a gutter with vertical slots in the gutter wall.

Figure 25 illustrates an embodiment of a gutter with vertical slots and unperforated steps in the gutter wall.

Figure 26 illustrates an embodiment of a gutter system with porous walls incorporating roughened elements to create eddy currents.

The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.

detailed description

This document describes devices, methods and systems for generating waves of desired surfability. Surfability is dependent on wave angle, wave speed, wave incline (ie, steepness), breaker type, bottom slope and depth, curvature, refraction, and concentration. Much detail is devoted to solitary waves, since their properties make them particularly favorable for generation by the devices, methods and systems presented here. As used in this application, the term "solitary wave" is used to describe a shallow water wave or "surface gravity wave" that has a single principal water displacement above the mean water level. A solitary wave propagates without dispersion, and it closely resembles the type of waves that generate favorable lapping waves in the ocean. A theoretically perfect solitary wave arises from a balance between dispersion and nonlinearity, allowing the wave to travel long distances while maintaining its shape and waveform without being impeded by canceling waves. The waveform of a solitary wave is a function of distance x and time t, and can be described by the following equation:

where A is the maximum amplitude or height of the wave above the water surface, _h0 is the depth of the water, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and η(x,t) is the height of the water above _h0 . Although the length of a solitary wave is theoretically infinite, the length of a solitary wave is bounded by the height of the water surface and can be defined as:

in

pond

The systems, devices and methods described in this application use a water tank in which isolated type or other surface gravity waves are generated. In some preferred embodiments, the pool is circular or annular, defined by an outer wall or rim having a diameter of 200 to 800 feet or more. However, round or circular ponds of less than 200 feet in diameter may alternatively be used, with diameters of 450 to 550 feet being preferred. In an exemplary embodiment, the pool may be annular, with a central circular island defining a channel or trough. In this annular configuration, the pool has an outer diameter of 550 feet and a trench width of at least 50 feet, although the trenches may have a width of 150 feet or more, which produces a rideable wavelength of 30-100 feet.

In another exemplary embodiment, the pool may be a continuous trough, such as a circular pool without a central island. In a circular configuration, the pool may have a bottom that slopes up toward the center to a shallow sill or sill, and may include a deeper trough or open to a shallow sill or flat surface. In yet other embodiments, the pool may be any closed loop, curved channel, such as racetrack shaped (ie, truncated circle), elliptical, or other circular shape. In still other embodiments, the pool may comprise open or closed looped straight or curved channels through which water flows (such as a crescent shape or a simple linear channel) and which may or may not use water reclamation Or recirculation and flow mechanism.

3A and 3B are top and cross-sectional views, respectively, of a pool 100 according to an annular embodiment. The pool 100 has a substantially annular shape defined by an outer wall 102, an inner wall 104, and a water channel 106 between and defined by the outer wall 102 and the inner wall 104. In annular embodiments, outer wall 102 and inner wall 104 may be circular. The inner wall 104 may be a wall extending above the mean water level 101 of the gutter 106 and may form an island 108 or other type of platform above the mean water level 101 . The inner wall 104 can also be sloped to form a sloped beach. Alternatively, the inner wall 104 may form a submerged reef or barrier between the water channel 106 and the second pool. For example, the second pool may be shallow to receive the wake caused by waves generated in the water channel 106 . The pool 100 may also include sides 110 which, according to some embodiments, may include tracks, such as monorails or other rails for receiving motor vehicles. Additionally, the vehicle may be attached to at least one wave generator, preferably in the form of a movable vane, as further described below. In some embodiments, the outer wall 102 may support a wave generator in the form of a flexible or rotating wall with built-in fins, also described further below, in cooperation with or without the side 110 .

wave generator

Figure 4 illustrates the bottom profile of a pool with a beach design with critical slope. The bottom profile of a pond with a critical slope design can be implemented in any number of shaped ponds, including straight, curved, circular or annular ponds. The bottom profile may include a side wall 200, which may be an inner side wall or an outer side wall. The height of the side wall 200 may extend at least above the mean water level, and the side wall 200 may extend above the maximum amplitude or height of the generated waves. The side wall 200 may be adapted to accommodate wave generators, such as fins positioned vertically on the side wall 200 and moving laterally along the side wall 200 . The bottom profile may also include a deep region 202 that in some configurations extends long enough at least to accommodate the thickness or height of the fin. The intersection of sidewall 200 and deep region 202 may also include ramps, steps, or other geometric features, or a track/rail mechanism that participates in guiding or powering the movement of the fins. The swell can be made to have an amplitude equal to or even greater than the depth of the deep zone 202,

The bottom profile of the pool may also include a ramp 204 that rises from the depth region 202 upwards. The angle of the ramp 204 can range from 1 to 16 degrees, or from 5 to 10 degrees. The ramp 204 may be straight or curved, and may include indentations, undulations, or other geometric features. The bottom profile may also include shallows 206 or sills. The surface from a point on the slope 204 and the shallows 206 can provide the main breaking zone for the generated waves, and wave buildup in the breaking zone can change the mean water level. Shallows 206 may be flattened or curved, and may transition into flattened shallow flat areas 208 , shallow trenches 210 or deep trenches 212 , or any alternating combination thereof. The side of the flume opposite the wave generator eventually terminates in the sloping beach.

The shallows 206 may also be an extension of the slope 204 and terminate directly to the beach. Beaches can be real or artificial. The beach may contain a drainage system, which may include gratings through which water can pass down. The drainage system can be connected to a general water recirculation and/or filtration system, either of which can incorporate more advanced flow redirection features. Beaches may also contain wave dampening baffles, which help minimize the reflection of waves and reduce transmission and currents along the shore.

The bottom profile may be formed from a rigid material and may be covered with a synthetic coating. In some embodiments, the bottom may be covered with portions of softer, more flexible material, for example, a reef of foam material may be incorporated, or a less injurious cover during a tip over. For example, the coating may be thicker at the shallows 206 or within the break zone. The cladding can be formed from a layer that is less rigid than the material used for the bottom profile, and can even be shock-absorbing. Slopes 204, shallows 206, and/or other areas of the bottom profile may be formed by one or more removable inserts. Additionally, any portion of the bottom profile may be dynamically reconfigurable and adjustable to alter the general shape and geometry of the bottom profile. For example, the bottom profile can be changed on the fly, for example by means of a motorized mechanism, an inflatable bladder, a simple manual exchange or other similar dynamic shaping mechanism. Alternatively, removable inserts or modules can be attached to the solid floor that forms part of the pool, including the bottom profile. The inserts or modules may be consistent around a circle, or variable to create a recurring reef defined by slope 204 or undulations in shallows 206 . In this way, specially shaped modules can be introduced at specific locations to produce sections with the desired breakage of the surf.

FIG. 5 shows a pool 300 in an annular configuration, and a wave generator 302 on an inner wall 304 of the pool 300 . The wave generator 302 may be an airfoil arranged vertically along the inner wall 304 and moved in the direction 303 shown to generate a wave W. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary portion of a pool 400 in an annular configuration with wave generators 402 arranged vertically along an outer wall 404 . The wave generator 402 can be moved in a direction 403 as shown to generate a wave W as shown. In some embodiments, the outer wall 404 arrangement of the wave generator 402 enables improved concentration and larger waves than the inner wall arrangement. Additionally, in some embodiments, the inner wall arrangement enables reduced wave speeds and improved surfability. Wave generators 302 and 402 may be moved by a powered vehicle or other mechanism that is generally kept dry and away from the water, such as on rails or other tracks, a portion of which may be submerged. In some embodiments, the entire track is rotatable, allowing the drive motor to be held in a non-rotating frame.

The wave generator can also be configured to run in the center of the trench, in which case there are beaches on both the inner and outer walls, and the track/rail mechanism is supported by an elevated structure or by attaching directly to the floor of the pool. support.

Wing

Some embodiments of the wave pools described in this application may use one or more fins to generate waves of desired surfability. The foils may be shaped to generate waves with supercritical flow, ie the foils move faster than the speed of the waves generated. This allows for significant peel angles as the waves slope with radius. The velocity of a wave in shallow water (when the water depth is comparable to the wavelength) can be represented by _VW :

where g is gravity, _h0 is the depth of the water, and A is the amplitude of the waves. Critical states can be represented by the Froude number (Fr), where numbers greater than 1 are supercritical and numbers less than 1 are subcritical:

Fr = V _F /V _W , where V _F is the velocity of the airfoil relative to the water

As the water and the foil move relative to each other, the foil may be adapted to propagate the wave away from the leading edge of the foil, which movement may achieve the most direct transfer of mechanical energy to the wave. In this way, ideal swells can be formed immediately near the leading edge of the airfoil. The fins can be optimized to produce the greatest possible swell height for a given water depth. However, some fins can be configured to create less swell.

To achieve the best energy transfer from the foil to the wave and to ensure that the resulting swell is clean and relatively isolated, the foil can be designed to impart a motion to the water that approximates the known solution of the wave equation. In this way, it may not be necessary for the waves to have to be formed by somewhat arbitrary perturbations, as some other wave generating systems do. The proposed approach may rely on matching the displacement imparted by the foil at each location to the natural (theoretical) displacement field of the wave. For a fixed position P through which the flap will pass, the direction normal to the flap may be x, and the thickness of the portion of the flap currently at P may be X(t).

The rate of change of X at point P can be related to the depth-averaged velocity of the wave , which can be expressed in equation (1):

Change the variables from (x,t) to (θ=ct-X,t), where c is the phase velocity of the wave

In equation (2), the depth-averaged velocity of the wave can be given by any of many different theories. For the case of solitary waves generally taking the form of Equations 3 and 4 below, several examples can be provided. This technique of airfoil design can also be applied to any other form of surface gravity waves with known, calculated, measured or approximate solutions.

η(θ) = Asech ² (βθ/2) (3)

Here η(θ) is the height from the resting free surface, A is the solitary wave amplitude, _h0 is the mean water depth, β is the boundary attenuation coefficient, c is the phase velocity, is the depth average horizontal velocity. C and β may be different for different solitary waves.

Combining equations (2) and (3) with (4) gives the rate of change of the foil thickness over time at a fixed position by substituting t = Y/V _F through the foil velocity V _F (5) , and can be related to the airfoil shape X(Y),

The maximum thickness of the airfoil can be given according to (5) as follows:

The length of the active part of the flap can then be approximated as:

The values of C and β corresponding to Rayleigh's solitary waves can be:

with

In this example of small displacements after linearization, the airfoil shape X(Y) can be approximated as:

This solution can also be approximated by the hyperbolic tangent function. The shape of these airfoils, as described by at least some mathematical functions, will have a very thin leading edge, which will be structurally unstable. The actual leading edge will typically be truncated at a suitable thickness of 3-12 inches and rounded to provide a more rigid leading edge. The rounding may be symmetrical or asymmetrical, and in some embodiments may not exactly follow the shape of an ellipse.

As shown in the exemplary configuration in FIGS. 7A and 7B , the airfoil 500 is a three-dimensional, curvilinearly shaped geometry with a wave-generating leading surface 502 or "active portion X(Y)" and a trailing surface 504, the The trailing face 504 acts as a flow restorer to avoid flow separation and reduce the drag of the airfoil 500 to improve energy efficiency. The vane 500 is shown as an example configured to drag in a linear channel, thus having a flat surface that would be adjacent to the vertical walls of the channel. The airfoil 500 can be shaped to direct most of the energy into the dominant, isolated mode and minimize the energy going into the wake of the oscillation. As such, the airfoil 500 can promote a quiet environment for the following wave generators and airfoil (if present). Each fin 500 may contain internal actuators that allow the shape of the fin to be deformed to create different waves, and/or each fin 500 can be hinged to account for variations in the curvature of the outer walls of non-circular or non-linear pools . In some embodiments, deformation of the fins 500 may allow the mechanism to be reversed to create waves by translating the fins 500 in the opposite direction. This deformation can be achieved by a series of linear actuators, or by mounting several vertical eccentric rollers 552 (as shown in FIGS. 8A-8C ) under the skin of the wave generating face of the airfoil 500 . A sketch of an airfoil 500 including an eccentric roller 552 is shown in Figure 8A. To show the eccentric rollers 552, the skin of the wave-generating side of the airfoil 500 is shown transparent in FIG. 8A. Additionally, an airfoil 500 with several deforming rollers 552 is shown in Figures 8B, 8C. Similar to FIG. 8A , the skin of the wave-generating side of the airfoil 500 is shown transparent in FIG. 8C in order to show several deforming rollers 552 . Rollers 552 may also be added in locations of flap 500 that have maximum thickness or recovery. In some embodiments of the flap 500, the flexible layer may be formed as a relatively rigid sheet that slides horizontally as the flap changes shape. In addition, some embodiments may include specific fastening means consisting of slotted grooves that may take up the slack in the relatively rigid sheet by means of springs or hydraulic tensioners that make the relatively rigid The slices extend along the length of the airfoil 500. The ability to deform the shape of the airfoil 500 may allow for large variations in the size and shape of generated swells, as well as optimization of the shape of the airfoil 500 to produce the desired shape of the swell. This fine optimization may be necessary because of other viscous hydromechanical phenomena occurring above the surface of 500. The airfoil acts in the boundary layer. The attached boundary layer may have the effect of slightly changing the effective shape of the hydrofoil. In other embodiments, there may be a specific surface roughness or "boundary layer torrent wires" mounted on the surface of the hydrofoil. In particular, if enough turbulence is created over the reinstatement section to ensure that there is no flow separation, the physical length of the hydrofoil can be reduced, and strongly turbulent boundary layers will not be separated as easily in unfavorable pressure gradients.

In some embodiments, the airfoil 500 is shaped and formed into a particular geometry based on the transformation from the simulation for the equation as a function of time to a function of space. The hyperbolic tangent mathematically defines the travel of the piston as a function of time such that the piston pushes the wave plate to create a shallow water wave that propagates away from the wave plate. These hyperbolic tangent functions take into account the position of the wave plate relative to the position of the waves generated in the long wave generation model and produce acceptable shapes for solitary waves and elliptic cosine waves. These techniques can be used to generate any propagating surface gravity waves that account for the reason the wave propagates away from the generator during generation (ie, appropriate to how the wave is changing during generation). Compensation for the movement of the generator over time and special shapes of the restoration section can help remove trailing oscillation waves, which can provide a more compact and efficient generation process. Other types of waves than those discussed here can be defined.

The thickness of the fins may be related to the amplitude (height) of the waves and the depth of the water. Thus, for a known depth and desired amplitude A, the thickness of the fin can be determined, F _T , which can be approximated by:

For Rayleigh solitary waves:

For Boussenesq solitary waves:

For shallow water, second-order solitary waves:

FIG. 9 shows the cross-sectional geometry of the airfoil 600 . As a three-dimensional object, the foil 600 generates a wave with a propagation velocity and a vector _VW based on the velocity of the foil and a vector _VF . When the fin moves in the direction shown, depending on its speed, the wave will propagate out at a peel angle α, given sin α = Fr ^-1 , so for a given water depth and wave height, the peel angle is determined by the speed of the fin, which is relatively Larger speeds correspond to smaller peel angles. The smaller the peel angle, the longer the length of the wave crest will be across the wave pool.

FIG. 10 illustrates a wave generator 700 in which a rotating inner wall 702 is located within a fixed outer wall 706 . The rotating inner wall 702 may be provided with one or more fixed fins 704, which may be the same size and shape as the fins described above. These embedded fins 704 may have internal actuators 708 that may help allow the embedded fins 704 to deform and change shape, such as in accordance with the various cross-sectional shapes described above. For different speeds and water depths, the cross-sectional shape can be changed to adapt to the "sweet spot". These actuators can function in a similar manner to the deformed eccentric rollers shown in FIG. 8 .

FIG. 11 illustrates a wave generator 800 in which a flexible layer 802 is placed along an outer wall 804 , and the outer wall 804 may include a number of linear actuators 806 arranged around at least a majority of the length or circumference of the outer wall 804 . Additionally, a linear actuator 806 may also be attached to the flexible layer 802 . The flexible layer 802 may be formed from any number of flexible materials, including rubber or rubber-like materials. The linear actuator 806 may be a mechanical or pneumatic actuator, or other device having at least radial deployment and retraction directions, such as a series of vertically aligned eccentric rollers. Linear actuator 806 can be actuated to form a moving shape in flexible layer 802 that approximates the shape of a fin as described above. The airfoil shape may propagate along the outer wall 804 or flexible layer 802 at a velocity V _F .

FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of a wave generator 900 that includes a flexible layer 902 positioned along an outer wall 904 . The gap between the flexible layer 902 and the outer wall 904 may define a moving flap 906 similar to that described above, and may include one or more rollers 908 in tracks connectable to the outer wall 904 and the flexible layer 902 . Rollers 908 in the track may allow the fins 906 formed in the gaps to travel smoothly in a direction along the outer wall 904 . The moving fins 906 may generate radial movement of the flexible layer 902 that at least closely approximates the shape of one or more of the fins described above.

FIG. 13 shows a wave generator 1000 comprising a flexible layer 1002 that can be raised away from an outer wall 1004 to define fins 1006 . The flap 1006 may include an internal actuator or eccentric roller 1010 that allows it to change the shape of the flap 1006 , which may change depending on the direction of movement along the outer wall 1004 . The defined flaps 1006 are movable on rails by rollers 1008, as described above. Thus, the flexible layer 1002 can be shaped to approximate the flaps described above while protecting the actuator and the rollers 1008 on the track from water. This configuration also reduces the risk that the main body part may become lodged in the individual moving fins.

virtual bottom

In some embodiments, a system of nozzles on the slope near the bottom of the pool can simulate water that is shallower than it really is, which can allow waves to break in deeper water than could otherwise be achieved. These nozzles can be positioned to produce average and turbulent flow at desired levels. The distribution of these nozzles can vary radially and in the direction from the outer wall towards the beach where there are more nozzles. There may also be azimuthal variation in the nature and number of nozzles. The nozzle system can be combined with a filter system and a wave system to provide mean flow or lazy river relief. Rough elements can be added to the bottom of the pool to promote turbulence, which can promote changes in the breaking wave pattern. The distribution and size of the roughness elements can be a function of radius and azimuth. The asperities can take the form of classic and novel vortex generators and are described below.

average flow

A moving fin or set of fins within the pool (particularly a circular trough as described above) will eventually create a mean flow or "lazy river" effect in which the water in the pool will flow between the one or more A slight current is generated in the direction of the moving fins.

In other embodiments, the pool may include a system to provide or counteract mean flow or circulation. The system may include a number of flow nozzles through which water is pumped to dampen or slow any "lazy river" flow created by the moving fins, and/or to help change the shape of the breaking wave. Mean circulation can have vertical or horizontal variability. Other mean flow systems may be used, such as counter-rotating opposing sides, bottom, or other mechanisms.

Passive "lazy river" flow control

Figures 14-16 illustrate various passive mechanisms that can be added to select the surface of the pool, especially in the deep regions below and beside the fins, as Turbulent flow creates obstructions that can slow down the mean flow caused by the moving airfoil.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14, a number of vortex generators 1302 are disposed on the surface 1304 of the pool, such as on the bottom of the pool or on the side walls of a sink. The vortex generators 1302 may be placed on the outside of the pool in an area behind the safety fence, adjacent to the moving fins, for example where surfers are less likely to come into contact with them. Alternatively or additionally, the vortex generator 1302 may be placed in the surfing trough surface of the pool, especially if the vortex generator 1302 is part of a safety feature, such as being made of a soft material such as foam to prevent the surfer from hitting the surface . The vortex generators 1302 may be located and incrementally spaced on a surface 1304, such as the floor of a sink of a pool, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, and/or may be located on a side wall of the pool, as shown in shown in Figure 16.

Figure 14 illustrates an embodiment of a vortex generator 1302 having elongated elements having a square cross-section. Additionally, the vortex generators may be spaced in increments, such as 8 times the cross-sectional width k of each vortex generator 1302 (px ₌ 8k). FIG. 15 shows another embodiment of a vortex generator 1306 with spacers in the transverse direction (i.e., 8 times the cross-sectional width k) and longitudinally (i.e., every other cross-sectional length, p _z =2k). Open square element. Figure 16 shows a vortex generator 1302 mounted on the bottom portion of the outer gutter 1310 adjacent to the sink and on the lower portion of the outer gutter wall 1312 of the sink if there is no gutter, or when the gutter system does not Extending over the entire depth, the generator can also be implemented on the actual outer wall. Rectangular elements may also be used, in which case the pitch is about 8 times the azimuthal width of the element. As shown in FIG. 17, vortex generators 1330 may also have non-rectilinear shapes, such as angled or curved. In the case of angled vortex generators, they may be positioned to point in a direction upstream or downstream of the movement of the vanes and the resulting mean flow.

The interaction between the mean flow and the vortex generators can increase the Reynolds stress and the total turbulence intensity near the path of the hydrofoil, which can provide a thicker boundary layer in the water. These enhanced boundary layers can dissipate much more energy than a smooth surface of the same size. In addition, turbulently diffuse momentum transfer, especially that associated with larger eddies, may allow the flume floor or wall region covered with vortex generators to provide strong sinks for azimuthal and radial momentum. In effect, these elements may allow the fluid within the tank to better transmit torque to the tank itself.

While each vortex generator may have a square cross-section, as shown in Figures 14, 15, 16 and 17, other cross-sectional shapes such as circular, rectangular or other prismatic or three-dimensional shapes may also be used. In some preferred embodiments, each vortex generator has a cross-sectional dimension of about 1 square foot, although side dimensions less than 1 foot or greater than 1 foot may also be used. The vortex generators may preferably be spaced 6-12 feet apart. For example, if used on the floor of a pool, the vortex generators may be spaced radially, with an average azimuth interval of 6 to 12 feet. If located on the vertical side walls of the pool, the vortex generators can be evenly spaced. Yet in other variations, the spacing of the vortex generators can be varied around the pool to achieve different effects.

To facilitate cleaning of the vortex generators and pool, and to avoid accumulation of debris in corners in and around the vortex generators, some embodiments may select a smooth (curved) pool profile 1500 where the vortex generators touch the side walls Or the floor, as shown in Figure 18 as an example.

In some embodiments, the vortex generators may be formed from a rigid or solid material and may be permanently affixed to the pool. For example, vortex generators can be made of reinforced concrete and integrated into the tank structure. In other embodiments, the vortex generators may be modular and bolted, or constructed of plastic, carbon fiber, or other less rigid or solid materials. These modular vortex generators can also accommodate custom configurations of variable pitch, size and orientation. For example, various combinations and arrangements of fixed and modular vortex generators may be employed.

Diversion ditch system (blade cavity ditch) to block azimuth flow

The previously discussed systems, such as vortex generators, roughness enhancements, and other protrusions or baffles, can be configured to reduce lazy river flow by increasing turbulence dissipation within the flow. Additionally, these systems can act as receivers or suppressors of mean azimuth/longitudinal momentum and alternating currents in radial/transverse and vertical directions. Alternatively, or in addition, the azimuthal/longitudinal flow can be through a gutter system employed on the inner beach area of a circular, crescent, or linear flume (“inner gutter system”), a gutter system employed on the outer wall of the flume ( "external gutter system"), or both. The rationale for these flow redirecting gutters may be to capture the kinetic energy of the flow as potential energy by causing it to rise up the slope. The fluid can then return to the tank with a different velocity vector direction than it arrived at. This redirection can be achieved with a vane system, but other means such as tubes or grooves can also be implemented.

In some embodiments, the gutter system includes a sloped floor covered by a permeable, perforated grating, typically having an open area of 25-40%. In this case, for an internal (sloping beach) gutter system, the slope of the grid can be greater than the slope of the angled floor or beach, which creates a cavity between the sloping floor of the beach and the more steeply sloped grid, The grill extends around a center island in the sink. For a 500 ft. diameter circular wave pool producing waves around the outer perimeter, with the bottom deck inclined at approximately 5-9 degrees and the perforated grid forming the cavity roof inclined at approximately 10-20 degrees, the cavity can Extend 20-40 feet off the island. The slope can be chosen differently for smaller or larger pools, with larger pools requiring a less steep slope and smaller pools requiring a slightly steeper slope.

The cavity alone absorbs wave energy and reduces reflected waves generated by the movement of the fins around the flume. Additionally, cavities can reduce azimuthal currents near sloping beaches by simple dissipation mechanisms when water entering through the grid can encounter enhanced turbulence. For the circular wave pool embodiment, the importance of reducing currents near the central island cannot be overemphasized. When there is a significant current parallel to the shore in the direction the wave is breaking, the current can allow the wave to "catch itself" if the form of the barrel wave is preserved, requiring the wave generating mechanism to move at a higher speed. Whether these currents are generated by a hydrofoil-type system or by some other type of wave generator, these currents may tend to limit the minimum operating speed of the waves. This minimum operating speed is associated with a condition known as "foam balling", at which the waves no longer appear as barrels, but instead appear as frothy crests of white water.

In other embodiments, and as shown in FIG. 19 , at least a portion of the cavity adjacent the inner island 1402 may be fitted with a series of angled blades 1404 . Angled blades 1404 may be formed from a solid material, such as concrete, or any number of various solid materials. The angled vanes 1404 may be covered by a permeable perforated grid 1406 . The perforated grid 1406 is shown transparent in FIG. 19 to show the angled vanes 1404 . In operation, an incoming wave may approach the cavity at a slight angle, enter through the grate 1406 and lift each angled vane 1404 below the grate 1406 . As the wave rises to a maximum height in the channel formed by the angled blades 1404 , the stored potential energy can then return to its kinetic energy form as the wave descends in a restricted set of angled blades 1404 . The wave then exits the cavity through the grid with a different and largely opposite component of the azimuth velocity to which it entered. In this way, a completely passive mechanism is provided to limit or reverse the azimuth/transshore current in the vicinity of the island.

In some embodiments, the gutter system may provide complete or near complete reversal of water flow near the gutter. The importance of these vane cavity gutter systems in their ability to mitigate the detrimental effects of foam balling on a wave tube a surfer may be riding has to do with the extent to which the effects can propagate away from the island. For this reason it is important that the vanes redirecting the flow are angled so that the redirected flow is injected into the tank interior away from the island. Typical configurations call for the vanes to be at a 45-70 degree angle to a radius around a vertical axis. The exact angle will depend somewhat on the specific bathymetry of the flume, but there is generally a trade-off where steeper angled blades will do a better job at redirecting water flow, while less steep angled blades will do a better job of redirecting water flow. Diverts the redirected fluid to the inside of the tank, slowing the waves at that location.

The vanes are angled relative to the radius from the inner island 1402 and the horizontal of the slopes that form a triangle to accommodate the grid above the vanes. Figure 20 shows the inner gutter system 1600 (note that in this figure the floor below the grate has no apparent slope, but in most embodiments there could be), with the fins 1610 and the wave generating mechanism and flume The outer gutter system 1620 between the outer walls 1630 . The outer gutter 1620, which can be constructed in a similar manner to the inner gutter described above, is shown to include horizontal plates 1640 that dampen vertical movement of the water plane caused by pressure changes as the vanes move. Such an outer gutter 1620 may comprise a series of inclined plates between the outer wall and the perforated wall, which will be inclined radially and azimuthally relative to the horizontal. In this way, fluid entering the gutter will be redirected and exit at an inward direction and opposite velocity to the main flow.

A further embodiment of the flow redirecting gutter system includes allowing water entering between the two blades 1700 to rise up the ramp, as described above. Some water flow is redirected through the sloped opening 1720 to the adjacent gutter near the highest point of the rise. In this way, the current flows around the beach, further enhancing trans-coastal transport. Figure 21 shows this embodiment on a sloping beach with the grate cover removed.

Wave absorption and phase cancellation gutters

According to some embodiments of wave pools using annular flumes, the outer and inner boundaries of the annular flume may be equipped with gutters and/or baffles configured to limit the reflection of any incident waves that may be generated by the passage of wave generation hydrofoils, And also reduces the persistence of normal random mutations in the sink. For example, gutters and/or baffles may be configured to control specific false tide patterns, or other waves of known wavelengths that exist within the tank. As shown in FIG. 22, some embodiments of the gutter and/or baffle 1500 may utilize a perforated wall 1506, which preferably has a 30%-60% open area and is parallel to the water containment wall 1504 of the flume or the beach placed on the ground or at an angle. The distance between the perforated wall 1506 and the main wall 1504 (b in Fig. 22) can be chosen so as to optimally dissipate the incident or abrupt wave of interest.

In some embodiments, gutter 1500 may comprise a simple vertical perforated plate of about 20% to 50% open area, preferably about 33% open area, which may form a cavity between the outer wall and the path of the hydrofoil. The cavity width can be adjusted for optimal phase cancellation, as described in further detail below.

In some embodiments, gutters are provided in the flume and are adapted to limit vertical displacement and reflected energy associated with any drag, or recovery, of waves generated by moving fins or other wave generating devices. This may involve the use of horizontal splitter plates or steps 1508 placed at a height hi, typically 0.2h-0.4h. In the case of a step, the volume under the horizontal plate is filled, whereas with a splitter plate the volume is open, in another variant, a step replaces a horizontal splitter plate in the form of a vertical solid wall, which extends upwards from the bottom of the typical Ground is the height associated with the horizontal splitter plate. These gutters can also be integrated with an azimuthal flow control and redirection system, as described in the above section.

Figure 23 shows the time evolution of waves resulting from a moving foil, including incident and reflected wave(s). The wavelength of the wave incident on the gutter may be L. In some embodiments, it is desirable to optimize the percent reflection of the resulting wave from the porous walls of the gutter such that in a rough approximation:

- Porous wall at a node (L/4) => 0% (*) reflection, 100% (*) transmission.

- Porous wall at maximum (L/2) => 100% reflection, 0% transmission.

If there were no perforated walls, the node could occur at a distance of L/4 from the back wall of the tank, and the maximum energy loss could also occur at this distance. However, due to inertial drag at the porous walls, phase transitions may occur within the gaps, which can slow the waves. This makes the distance where the maximum energy loss occurs is less than L/4. As can be seen in Figure 23, the width of the gutter can be adjusted based on the size and wavelength of the incident wave, ie the gutter is configured to provide relief. The gutter may be formed from one or more parallel perforated plates, and may be further combined with horizontal diverter plates and/or vertical steps, as further described below.

The relationship between the wavelength (L) of the wave incident on the gutter and the wavelength (L1) of the wave in the cavity of the gutter may be such that L>L1. This wavelength reduction is likely due to dissipation and may allow the use of smaller width gutters that would otherwise be required.

Note that a similar effect can be had when splitter plates are used, and that the case of minimum reflection can occur at a ratio of approximately b/L, which can be smaller than the corresponding ratio for a wave cavity without a splitter plate. This may be due to the fact that the waves in the gutter become shorter above the submerged plate and thus slow down.

Other embodiments of gutters 2000 are shown, for example, in Figures 24 and 25, which show an outer gutter 2100 of an annular flume. This outer gutter 2100 may include vertical slots 2300 in the gutter wall 2200 parallel to the main wall 2400 to form a porous cavity. The perforated wall may also take the form of an array of vertical cylinders, which may have additional structural functions, such as supporting a deck above the sink. The porosity is preferably similar to that of a similar geometry using a perforated plate or grid, ie between 30%-50% open area.

Note the unperforated step 2500 which makes the gutter shown in FIG. 24 different from the gutter shown in FIG. 25 . A step is a variation that, like a splitter plate, can be combined with any of the various embodiments. Step 2500 may function in a similar manner to a splitter plate, but may have the added advantage of being structurally stronger.

Horizontal and vertical slots or stakes have different properties. Vertical slots or piles, when sufficiently spaced and of sufficient size, have the following property: When a wave impacts a vertical slot or pile obliquely, the incident and reflected paths can be different. For horizontally aligned piles or slots, inclination may have no effect and immersion of slots and piles closer to the still water level may be important as it may allow smaller scale breaks or waves to enter and exit the gutter area. Additionally, small changes in water level can be used to adjust the relative depth of horizontal piles or slots.

The porous walls of some gutter systems may also incorporate roughened elements that generate eddy currents, which can be seen on the lower wall in FIG. 26 as described above. As shown by way of example in FIG. 26 , some embodiments may use vertical slots or rods 2700 to form porous walls 2800 . Additionally, the slots or bars 2700 may be staggered such that the staggered slots or bars protrude radially from the tank wall by different distances. In at least some embodiments, the slots or bars need not protrude alternately; for example, in some embodiments, each seventh or eighth slot or bar may protrude from the plane formed by the other slots or bars. In some embodiments, the one or more slots or bars may protrude a distance of 8-24 inches, and the distance between protruding slots or bars may be 50-180 inches.

While a few embodiments have been described in detail above, other variations are possible. Other implementations may be within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (23)

1. a kind of wave pool, including：

Pond for accommodating water, the pond defines groove, and the groove has the first side wall, second sidewall and bottom, The profile of the bottom is from the deep zones of the neighbouring the first side wall towards the sill portion limited from the second sidewall to updip Tiltedly；

At least one fin, it is at least partially submerged in water in adjacent sidewalls, and suitable for by travel mechanism along The side of side wall is moved up to produce at least one wave in the trench, and at least one wave is formed in the sill portion Breaker；With

One or more passive types flow controlling organization, and it slows down by least one described fin on the direction along side wall The mean flow of mobile caused water, occurs wherein one or more of passive types flowing controlling organization includes multiple vortex Device, the multiple vortex generator is arranged on the surface of the groove and under the water surface and on the surface of the groove It is spaced apart.

2. wave pool according to claim 1, wherein at least one in the multiple vortex generator includes linear lengthwise member Part, it is arranged on the surface of the groove perpendicular to the direction of the mean flow.

3. wave pool according to claim 1, wherein at least one in the multiple vortex generator includes angled member Part, it is arranged on the surface of the groove, and the angle that the direction with relative to the mean flow is pointed to.

4. wave pool according to claim 1, wherein passive type flowing controlling organization also include along the groove with Every increment set multiple vortex generators.

5. wave pool according to claim 1, wherein the multiple vortex generator is arranged on the bottom of the groove.

6. wave pool according to claim 1, wherein the groove is circular groove, and wherein the multiple vortex generator It is spaced apart along the RADIAL of the circular groove.

7. wave pool according to claim 1, wherein the multiple vortex generator is removably attached to the table of the groove Face.

8. wave pool according to claim 1, wherein the multiple vortex generator is made up of soft material.

9. a kind of wave pool, including：

Pond for accommodating water, the pond defines groove, and the groove has the first side wall, second sidewall and bottom, The profile of the bottom is from the deep zones of the neighbouring the first side wall towards the sill portion limited from the second sidewall to updip Tiltedly；

At least one fin, it is at least partially submerged in water in adjacent sidewalls, and suitable for by travel mechanism along The side of side wall is moved up to produce at least one wave in the trench, and at least one wave is formed in the sill portion Breaker；With

One or more passive type Liu Kong leads mechanisms, it slows down by least one described fin on the direction along side wall Movement caused by water in current.

10. wave pool according to claim 9, wherein one or more of passive type Liu Kong leads mechanisms include lead System, it has the one or more perforated plates set in the groove near inclined seabeach, and one or more Perforated plate forms cavity between the slope at the seabeach and one or more of perforated plates.

11. wave pool according to claim 9, wherein the passive type Liu Kong mechanisms include diversion trench system, it, which has, is set One or more perforated plates on the wall of side in the trench, and one or more perforated plates side wall and it is one or Cavity is formed between multiple perforated plates.

12. wave pool according to claim 10, in addition to one or more angled blades, it is arranged on the seabeach At least one in cavity between slope and one or more of perforated plates, in one or more of angled blades Angle faces to the movement of the travel mechanism with receive the current from orientation angular flux and with the mobile phase of the travel mechanism Instead redirect current and be returned to the groove.

13. wave pool according to claim 10, wherein setting one or many with the angle on the slope more than the seabeach Individual perforated plate.

14. wave pool according to claim 12, wherein the first angled blade receives the current and by the current It is delivered to the angled blade of adjacent second.

15. wave pool according to claim 14, wherein the second angled blade is at least one fin Direction is located at before the described first angled blade.

16. wave pool according to claim 10, wherein groove be circular and wherein described perforated plate in radial direction and With the horizontal angle on azimuth direction.

17. wave pool according to claim 9, wherein the passive type Liu Kong mechanisms include diversion trench system, it includes：

One or more of groove perforated plate is arranged near the sill portion, and one or more perforated plates are in institute State and form cavity between the slope in sill portion and one or more of perforated plates；With

One or more perforated plates on side wall in the trench are set, and one or more perforated plates are in side wall and institute State and form cavity between one or more perforated plates.

18. wave pool according to claim 17, wherein each perforated plate includes percent 25 to percent 40 opening Region.

19. a kind of wave pool, including：

Pond for accommodating water, the pond defines groove, and the groove has the first side wall, second sidewall and bottom, The profile of the bottom is from the deep zones of the neighbouring the first side wall towards the sill portion limited from the second sidewall to updip Tiltedly；

At least one fin, it is at least partially submerged in water in adjacent sidewalls, and suitable for by travel mechanism along The side of side wall is moved up to produce at least one wave in the trench, and at least one wave is formed in the sill portion Breaker；With

Passive type is mutated and seiche controlling organization, and it mitigates the random mutation and seiche in water, and the random mutation and seiche are extremely Partially move caused on the direction along side wall by least one described fin, and at least in part by described Caused by the shape and profile of groove, wherein passive type mutation and seiche controlling organization are included on the side wall of the groove Diversion trench system, the diversion trench system include one or more perforated walls with the side wall of the groove and it is described at least one Cavity is formed between the path of fin.

20. wave pool according to claim 19, wherein the lead system includes the solid-state wall of at least one level, it sets Put in the cavity between at least one vertical perforated wall and the side wall of the groove.

21. wave pool according to claim 20, wherein at least one described vertical perforated wall includes percent 20 to percentage 50 open area.

22. wave pool according to claim 19, wherein the lead system includes at least one horizontal wall, its be arranged on to In cavity between a few vertical perforated wall and the side wall of the groove, the side wall of the groove is formed under the lead The top of the solid-state step in face.

23. a kind of wave pool, including：

Pond for accommodating water, the pond defines groove, and the groove has the first side wall, second sidewall and bottom, The profile of the bottom is from the deep zones of the neighbouring the first side wall towards the sill portion limited from the second sidewall to updip Tiltedly；

At least one fin, it is at least partially submerged in water in adjacent sidewalls, and suitable for by travel mechanism along The side of side wall is moved up to produce at least one wave in the trench, and at least one wave is formed in the sill portion Breaker；

Passive type flows controlling organization, and it slows down moves caused by least one described fin on the direction along side wall Water mean flow；

Passive type Liu Kong leads mechanism, it slows down is drawn by least one fin moving on the direction along side wall Current in the water risen；With

Passive type Catastrophe control mechanism, it mitigates the random mutation and seiche in water, and the random mutation and seiche are at least partly Ground moves caused by least one described fin on the direction along side wall, and at least in part by the groove Caused by shape and profile.