{{Short description|Norwegian physicist and professor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Johannes Falnes | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = 15 December 1931 | birth_place = Skudenes, Norway | death_date = 2 June 2024 | death_place = Trondheim, Norway | citizenship = Norwegian | ethnicity = | field = Experimental physics<br />Wave energy | work_institution = Norwegian University of Science and Technology | alma_mater = Norwegian Institute of Technology | doctoral_advisor = | doctoral_students = | known_for = | prizes = | religion = | footnotes = }}
'''Johannes Falnes''' (1931–2024) was a Professor Emeritus of Experimental Physics at the Department of Physics of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology noted for his contributions to wave energy research. He was one of the pioneers of modern wave energy research.
==Education== Falnes received his master's and doctoral degrees both from the Norwegian Institute of Technology.<ref>{{cite web |title=Peaks and troughs of wave energy: the dreams and the reality – speaker biographies |url=http://royalsociety.org/events/wave-energy-biographies/ |access-date=24 October 2011 |publisher=royalsociety.org}}</ref>
==Career== Falnes spent his career at the Norwegian Institute of Technology (1956–1959), CERN (1959–1961), the University of Bergen (1961–1964), the Norwegian Institute of Technology/Norwegian University of Science and Technology (1965–2001), and SINTEF (1966–1972), before retiring in 2002.
Falnes' main research interest has been ocean wave energy and its utilisation. Together with Kjell Budal, he initiated wave energy research in Norway in the 1970s. Falnes and Budal discovered the so-called antenna effect, where a floating point absorber could theoretically absorb far more wave energy from the sea than that which is directly incident upon its geometry, analogous to a radio antenna's ability to absorb radio waves.<ref>{{cite web |title=The economics and technology of taming Atlantic waves |url=http://www.waveenergy.ie/ |access-date=22 December 2009 |publisher=waveenergy.ie}}</ref> They also developed the latching control strategy to maximize energy extraction.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Drew |first1=B. |last2=Plummer |first2=A. R. |last3=Sahinkaya |first3=M. N. |year=2009 |title=A review of wave energy converter technology |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy |volume=223 |issue=8 |pages=887–902 |bibcode=2009PIMEA.223..887D |doi=10.1243/09576509JPE782 |s2cid=17186882}}</ref>
In December 2006, a seminar titled Challenges for Wave Energy Technology was dedicated in tribute to Falnes on his 75th anniversary. The seminar was held in Trondheim, Norway. Wave energy experts such as Stephen Salter (University of Edinburgh), António Falcão (Instituto Superior Técnico), Alain Clément (École centrale de Nantes), and Richard Yemm (Ocean Power Delivery) addressed various topics in the seminar.<ref>{{cite web |title=Challenges for Wave Energy Technology |url=http://www.cesos.ntnu.no/activities/seminars/Falnes_Seminar/index.php |access-date=22 December 2009 |publisher=cesos.ntnu.no}}</ref>
Falnes is a member of The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters<ref>{{cite web |title=Akademimedlemmer, Fysikk |url=http://www.dknvs.no/akademimedlemmer/medlemmer/gruppe-ii-fysikk/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009020402/http://www.dknvs.no/akademimedlemmer/medlemmer/gruppe-ii-fysikk/ |archive-date=9 October 2016 |access-date=20 July 2016 |publisher=Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters |language=Norwegian}}</ref> and the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences.<ref>{{cite web |title=Medlemmer: FALNES, Johannes |url=http://www.ntva.no/index.php?option=com_club&view=member&id=120%3Afalnes-johannes&Itemid=60 |access-date=4 December 2012 |publisher=Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences |language=Norwegian}}</ref>
==Personal life== Among his pastimes are hiking and cross-country skiing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Johannes Falnes |url=https://folk.ntnu.no/falnes/index-e.html |access-date=18 June 2024}}</ref>
==Selected publications== * {{Citation |last1=Budal |first1=K. |title=A resonant point absorber of ocean-wave power |journal=Nature |volume=256 |issue=5517 |pages=478–479 |year=1975 |bibcode=1975Natur.256..478B |doi=10.1038/256478a0 |s2cid=4253462 |name-list-style=amp |last2=Falnes |first2=J.}} * {{cite journal |last1=Falnes |first1=Johannes |date=2002 |title=Optimum Control of Oscillation of Wave-Energy Converters |journal=International Journal of Offshore and Polar Engineering |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=147–155}} * {{Cite book |author=Johannes Falnes |title=Ocean Waves and Oscillating Systems |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2002 |isbn=0-521-78211-2}} * {{cite journal |last1=Falnes |first1=Johannes |date=2007 |title=A review of wave-energy extraction |journal=Marine Structures |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=185–201 |bibcode=2007MaStr..20..185F |doi=10.1016/j.marstruc.2007.09.001}}
==References== {{reflist}} {{BLP sources|date=December 2009}}
== External links == *{{official website|http://folk.ntnu.no/falnes/index-e.html}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Falnes, Johannes}} Category:1931 births Category:People associated with CERN Category:Members of the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences Category:Norwegian Institute of Technology alumni Category:Academic staff of the Norwegian Institute of Technology Category:Academic staff of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology Category:Norwegian physicists Category:Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters Category:Academic staff of the University of Bergen