The central research facility of the CRC is the Large Wave Flume (LWF). With a length of approx. 300 m, a width of 5 m and a depth of 7 m, the LWF is one of the largest research facilities of its kind and enables large-scale physical experiments to be carried out in which hydrodynamic, morphological and ecohydraulic processes on the coast including the interactions with coastal structures are investigated. This means that specific phenomena can be analysed in which the results would otherwise be falsified by scaling effects or which have so far not allowed downscaling, such as when examining wave-vegetation interactions.
The piston type wave maker uses a rotatable upper flap (± 10 °) and a maximum stroke of ± 2.10 m to generate regular waves with wave heights of up to 2.10 m and wave spectra with significant wave heights of up to 1.30 m. To avoid unwanted re-reflections of waves, the wave maker is equipped with an active wave absorption system.
Since September 2020, the Large Wave Flume has been expanded to a globally unique large research device with a new wave machine, a circulating flow system and a deep section - the LWFplus. For more insights into the current status of the renovation work, please click here.