ANNO ACCADEMICO DUEMILAUNDICI/DUEMILADODICI NOEL, Lungomare Falcomatà, Rada delle Mura Greche, Reggio Calabria, Italy The NOEL, Natural Ocean Engineering Laboratory, of Reggio Calabria (Italy) Felice Arena Professor of Ocean Engineering Mediterranea University Director of NOEL The first ocean engineering laboratory working in the field rather than in wave tanks equipped with wavemakers based on the successful experience of some pionieeristic small-scale-field- experiments directed by Professor Paolo Boccotti off the beach of Reggio Calabria (Italy), since 1989. NOEL, prof. Felice Arena Reggio Calabria, www.noel.unirc.it L O C A T I O N Messina Tyrrhenian Sea STRAITS OF MESSINA Ionian NOEL Sea lab Calabria Reggio Calabria Messina Reggio Calabria Reggio Calabria NOEL Sicily NOEL, professor Felice Arena Reggio Calabria, www.noel.unirc.it LOCATION Beach of Reggio Calabria on the East coast of the Strait of Messina. Peculiarity. A local wind from NNW often generates sea states consisting of pure wind waves with the typical size of a big laboratory tank (significant wave height 0.20m<H <0.80m, peak period 2.0s<T <3.6s). This local s p wind is very stable, and sometimes keeps steady from morning to evening. The tide amplitude is small (typically within 0.10m). The water is very clear because of the current which flows twice in a day. NOEL, professor Felice Arena Reggio Calabria, www.noel.unirc.it THE ORIGIN OF LABORATORY On 1989 Professor Paolo Boccotti directed the first experiment aimed at verifying the possibility to work in the sea as in a big wave tank. In 1990 a small scale field experiment was carried out off the beach of Reggio Calabria to verify the theory of Quasi-Determinism, that defines the mechanics of three-dimensional wave groups when a very high wave occurs. The results of the experiment gave a full confirmation of the theory (Boccotti et al. 1993) and showed that the sea off the Reggio Calabria promenade is a natural lab for “small scale field experiments” (Phillips et al. 1993). Here a local wind blowing from Messina toward Reggio Calabria generates wind waves with spectra very close to the mean JONSWAP, spectrum during most time of a year. NOEL, professor Felice Arena Reggio Calabria, www.noel.unirc.it THE ORIGIN OF LABORATORY …………….. After three more experiments the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria decided to build a laboratory in the promenade of Reggio Calabria. The municipality of Reggio Calabria included the laboratory in a big project for the city seaside. This includes an open theatre and a new promenade with a splendid sight of the Straits of Messina and Sicily. The new laboratory has its own beach, and its own water sheet within 50m from the shoreline. It includes a conference room, a room with the electronic station and a P.C. network, offices and a small workshop. The small scale field experiments are performed in the water sheet off the beach. The instruments are connected by cables to the electronic station. People attending symposia held in this lab can get a real time view of the experiments. NOEL, professor Felice Arena Reggio Calabria, www.noel.unirc.it The new management and the N.O.E.L. In March 2009 the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria assumed direct management of the laboratory, and Professor Felice Arena was designated as Director of the Lab, supported by the Scientific Supervision of Professor Paolo Boccotti (they are both full professor of Ocean Engineering). In this new phase of the lab, activities are run with the support of the PhD students of the ocean engineering program, as well as graduate students, which participate to the experiments. In the lab academic activities, as lectures for under graduate students, are also held. NOEL, professor Felice Arena Reggio Calabria, www.noel.unirc.it The Staff of the N.O.E.L. : (2009/2010) Professors and researchers of the Mediterranea University (Alessandra Romolo, Giuseppe Barbaro, Paolo Boccotti, Vincenzo Fiamma, Felice Arena) NOEL, professor Felice Arena Reggio Calabria, www.noel.unirc.it The Staff of the N.O.E.L.: With some PhD students and PostDoc of the Mediterranea University NOEL, professor Felice Arena Reggio Calabria, www.noel.unirc.it The Staff of the N.O.E.L. Ph.D. Students: Ocean Engineering Program Name Ciclo Tutor(s) Name Ciclo Tutor(s) XXIV Prof. Giuseppe Barbaro Rosa Maria XXVI Prof. Felice Arena Antonino Campolo Calaudi Dott.ssa A. Sempreviva Rosita Siciliano XXIV Prof. Felice Arena Alessandro Richichi XXVI Prof. Felice Arena Prof. C. Guedes Soares Giandomenico Foti XXIV Prof. Giuseppe Barbaro Anita Santoro XXVI Prof. Felice Arena XXV Proff. P.Boccotti, V. XXVII Prof. Felice Arena Luigi Collia Domenico Ciricosta Fiamma, Pasquale Pizzimenti XXV Prof. Felice Arena Valentina Laface XXVII Proff. F. Arena, G. Barbaro Simona Ghiretti XXV Prof. Giuseppe Barbaro Giovanna Vizzari XXVII Proff. F. Arena, A. Romolo Post-Doc in Ocean Engineering Saveria Meduri (PhD – ciclo XX) Vincenzo Nava (PhD – ciclo XXI) International Post-doc between Mediterranea and Instituto Superior Tecnico of Lisbon, Portugal Antonino Viviano (PhD – ciclo XXI) Giovanni Malara (PhD – ciclo XXIII) International Post-doc between Mediterranea and Rice University of Houston, Texas, USA NOEL, professor Felice Arena Reggio Calabria, www.noel.unirc.it