Preface

I would like to express my gratitude to all those who helped me during the writing of this thesis. My deepest and strongest thanks are given to my beloved family, especially to my mother and to my uncle. Thank you for your continuous love, cares, supports and encouragements with respect to all parts of my life.

This research started in August 2008 at Technology University of Delft, Environmental Fluid Mechanics Section, thereby I would like to give my sincere thanks to the section for providing the work place and for the support everyone gave to me.

In particular, grateful thanks are given to my daily supervisor Dr. Ir. Leo Holthuijsen, who is rigorous and straight, has offered me valuable suggestions in the academic studies. In the preparation of the thesis, he has spent much time reading through each draft and provided me with inspiring advice. Without his patient instruction, insightful criticism and expert guidance, the completion of this thesis would not have been possible.

Also, I would like to thank. Dr. Ir. Marcel Zijlema, Dr. Ir. Andre van der Westhuysen and Dr. Ir. Gerbrant van Vledder for their patience of answering all the questions I asked and for their reading and promoting my research results.

Special thanks are given to Mr. Karel Karsen, without his help, I would have never been gotten through the darkest period to finish the master program.

In addition I would like thank my fellow students, Haiyang Cui, Jules Schmedding, Sijbrand Balkema, Pieter Smit, Matthijs Benit and Anna Kroon, and thank my friends, Haiyang Liu, Mo Zhang, Xuan Zhu and Xi Gu, for their precious suggestions and comments to my studies.