The electronic ocean model (1960) (opens in new tab)

(collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk)

40 pointsshauns3y ago4 comments

4 comments

I don't see any text explaining how this works beyond:

> The Electronic storm surge model is a depth-integrated single-layer two-dimensional electronic model based on hydrodynamic equations used to examine tidal surges, comprising three main units; a unit holding the input and output devices (Advance Instruments OS-240 oscilloscope, Commodore CBM 8032 Computer and Commodore 2031 5¼" floppy disk drive, and another two units (connected and wired together in a V formation) forming the mesh framework of the machine.

and there are not enough pictures for me to understand. My guess is that this is an analog computer which uses voltages in circuits to model the differential equations of the atmosphere pressuress? And do they divide up areas of the atmosphere into each cell or something?

garrettdreyfus3y ago

It is actually a single layer ocean model. It uses what are called the shallow water wave equations.

It can be thought of as a grid of resistors capacitors and inductors through which voltages behave flow similarly to water levels. Different capacitances, resistances, and inductivenesses(?) model the changing wave speed and bottom friction to do the depth and bottom friction at each grid cell you are considering. Voltage=water level

By arranging the circuit into the shape of a real world basin and adding voltages that match real world atmospheric forcings you can predict storm surge

itsthecourier3y ago

So, it's like a neural network using 2 layers done at electronic level?

buescher3y ago

I think it's (more like?) an analog finite element solver driven by a microcomputer.

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