Development of a high resolution wave model at AMETS using SWAN

The SWAN gridded wave model (version 41.01) is used in the development of a high resolution wave model at the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS), a full scale wave energy test site on the west coast of Ireland. A nesting... [ view full abstract ]

The SWAN gridded wave model (version 41.01) is used in the development of a high resolution wave model at the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS), a full scale wave energy test site on the west coast of Ireland. A nesting methodology has been implemented in order to replicate wave conditions from oceanic scale to a local scale. The oceanic domain covers a large area of the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean at a coarse resolution of 0.05 degrees, while the AMETS domain is resolved at 0.0027 degrees (approximately 300m). The AMETS wave model is calibrated against two wave buoy stations at AMETS and a number of sensitivity tests were conducted for the period of December 2013. Model validation was conducted for the year of 2010-2013 and shows that the developed wave model performs well for longer periods. The results of the calibration/validation processes confirm that the model is accurate and can be reliably used for wave resource assessment at the site into the future.