Research on Ship Wake–Sea Surface Interaction Modeling Based on Gaussian Energy Coupling

Abstract

The optical detection accuracy of ship wakes strongly depends on the precision of wake–sea surface coupling modeling. Most existing studies ignore the energy interaction between the two and adopt a direct superposition approach, which results in significant deviation from the actual marine environment. This paper focuses on the research framework of “wake distribution characteristics–sea surface modeling–coupling superposition–detection impact.” First, the three-dimensional distribution characteristics of ship wakes in length, width, and depth are systematically reviewed, and the quantitative relationships between key parameters such as total wake length, effective detection length, diffusion angle, and ship type (length, draft), as well as sailing speed, are clarified. Second, a three-dimensional sea surface geometric model is constructed based on the Elfouhaily spectrum and the Longuet-Higgins directional distribution function, revealing the modulation patterns of wind speed and fetch on sea surface roughness. Third, to overcome the limitations of existing superposition methods, a Gaussian-energy-based wake–sea coupling modeling method is proposed, in which each wake point is regarded as an energy source, and a Gaussian function is used to describe its influence weight on the surrounding sea surface. Finally, multi-case simulations verify that this method can accurately reproduce the modulation effect of the sea surface on wake wave height—the larger the ship speed and hull size, the more significant the wake fluctuations; meanwhile, increasing sea surface wind speed enhances background interference to the wake signal. The results provide theoretical support and a modeling method for improving the anti-interference capability and target recognition accuracy of ship wake optical detection.