Elsevier

Ocean Engineering

Volume 22, Issue 7, October 1995, Pages 669-686
Ocean Engineering

The determination of confidence limits associated with estimates of the spectral peak frequency

https://doi.org/10.1016/0029-8018(95)00002-3Get rights and content

Abstract

A Monte-Carlo simulation technique is used to evaluate the suitability of proposed techniques for the estimation of the spectral peak frequency. Due to the statistical variability of spectral estimates and the discrete frequency resolution of spectra, the calculated values of peak frequency are stochastic variables. The probability density functions for such estimates are functions of the frequency resolution and the number of degrees of freedom of the spectrum from which they are derived as well as the spectral peakedness. The mean values of all techniques are biased high, indicating the derived values of peak frequency are an overestimate of the true value. The probability density functions do not follow an obvious analytical form. Tabular values are, however, presented to enable the determination of confidence limits for estimates of the peak frequency.

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