Dynamic soaring mechanisms in the ocean boundary layer. (2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bonnin, Vincent; Benard, Emmanuel; Toomer, Christine A.; Moschetta, Jean-Marc
• Is Part Of: International journal of engineering systems modelling and simulation. Volume 8:Number 2(2016)
• Page Start: 136
• Page End: 148
• Publication Date: 2016
• Subjects: albatross -- dynamic soaring flight -- optimisation -- UAVs -- wind gradients -- idealised waves -- wave soaring -- ocean boundary layer -- air-sea interface -- modelling -- wind-wave interactions -- sinusoidal peak wave -- stable laminar theory -- soaring trajectories -- point mass vehicles; Engineering systems -- Computer simulation -- Periodicals; Engineering systems -- Mathematical models -- Periodicals; 620.0042
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-9758

Abstract

Dynamic soaring is a flying technique which extracts energy from an environment where wind gradients form, such as the air-sea interface above oceans that sees such gradients developing through multiple and combined phenomena. Models of wind-wave interactions are analysed in terms of their influence on the induced wind field, before selecting a purely sinusoidal peak wave from the wave spectrum and developing the related wind field using stable laminar theory. Dynamic soaring trajectories are then derived by optimising a nonlinear constrained problem that models the evolution of a point mass vehicle. Characteristic phases of dynamic soaring flight are evidenced out of the overall trajectories and compared to the flat-ocean case in order to conclude on the influence of waves regarding dynamic soaring performances.