Wave-induced drift of small floating objects in regular waves

Water waves induce a slow drift of an object floating on the water surface. In this study, we examined, by a series of laboratory experiments, the drift motion of small rigid floating objects driven by regular waves in deep water. Different shapes of planar objects, including square, circular and elliptical, were investigated for two different submergences, and their drift motions in waves were determined using an infrared motion monitoring system. The corresponding measurements enabled the quantification of the drift characteristics with respect to the wave characteristics and object shapes. Numerical simulations based on an existing theory were presented and comparisons between the experimental data and the predictions by the existing theory were performed.