Tilt current meter array: field validation

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Max Radermacher, Zane Thackeray, Matthieu de Schipper, Leigh Gordon, Clinton Chrystal, Rio Leuci, Ad Reniers

Wednesday 1 july 2015

8:30 - 8:45h at Africa (level 0)

Themes: (T) Water engineering, (ST) Experimental facilities and instrumentation

Parallel session: 8F. Engineering - Instrumentation

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Measurements of nearshore currents can be performed using a range of existing measurement techniques. Although every technique has its specific benefits, capturing strong spatial gradients in a flow field with sufficiently high spatial resolution often proves to be difficult due to high costs or practical difficulties associated with these techniques. In this study, the use of an array of Tilt Current Meters is explored as a way of measuring these spatial gradients. Observed tilt angle and direction have a high correlation with flow velocity magnitude and direction measured with acoustic instruments. Furthermore, the capabilities of a dense spatial grid of Tilt Current Meters are demonstrated in a spatially variable flow field.