Linear Kelvin Wave Predictions in the $z\to 0$ Limit

Linear wave theory captures the essential physics of free-surface flows at a fraction of the computational cost of nonlinear and viscous methods, making it attractive for design, real-time control, and surrogate modeling applications.

However, the Kelvin Green's function for a translating point-source generates unbounded wave energy in the $z\to 0$ limit, causing both numerical difficulties and physical inconsistencies.

This paper develops a modified kernel for the Kelvin potential incorporating an elliptic spanwise line integration that naturally resolves this ill-posedness, yielding finite wave energy over the entire free surface.

We then present a fast evaluator for both point and line kernels using contour deformation adapted to the non-analytic Kelvin phase, achieving $10^4$-$10^5$ speedup over direct quadrature while preserving the wake asymptotics.

Predictions on the most challenging $z=0$ limit demonstrate physically consistent wave patterns and wave resistance trends.

An open-source Julia implementation is provided.