Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student Robert K. M. Seah presented his current research work in the the Northern California Meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineering (SNAME) on February 15, 2006.   His paper entitled Resonant Modes of Rectangular Twin Hulls"  was selected to receive the national 2006 SNAME Graduate Honor Prize, the top student paper award of the Society.   Robert Seah is a GSR in the Computational Marine Mechanics Laboratory (CMML) of Professor R. W. Yeung (Fluid Mechanics and Ocean Engineering).  The paper presented results of the Helmholtz phenomenon between two floating bodies.  The Helmholtz mode is considered the most significant symmetric mode of resonance oscillation in the "moonpool" area between the bodies, which can significantly affect the overall motion of a multi-hull vessel.   Discussions also prevail about capturing renewable energy using the large moonpool motion.

Robert was the 2005-2006 President of the student engineering society : Cal-SNAME.  He received an award certificate and a cash prize of $500 from SNAME President Roger Compton (left) in the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Society, which was held in Fort Lauderdale, FL, October 10-13, 2006.