By the time that Vilhelm was old enough to assist his father, Bjerknes had become something of a recluse living in a world of his own, totally dominated by his hydrodynamic research.
Sa pamamagitan ng mga oras na Vilhelm ay sapat na gulang upang makatulong sa kanyang ama, Bjerknes ay maging isang bagay ng isang taong namumuhay nang ligpit nakatira sa isang mundo ng kanyang sarili, lahat-lahat sa pamamagitan ng kanyang duminado hydrodynamic research.