Abstract
This review focuses on the most suitable form of hydrodynamic modeling for the next generation wave energy converter (WEC) design tools. To design and optimize a WEC, it is estimated that several million hours of operation must be simulated, perhaps one million hours of WEC simulation per year of the R&D program. This level of coverage is possible with linear potential flow (LPF) models, but the fidelity of the physics included is not adequate. Conversely, while Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) type computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers provide a high fidelity representation of the physics, the increased computational burden of these models renders the required amount of simulations infeasible. To scope the fast, high fidelity options, the present literature review aims to focus on what CFD theories exist intermediate to LPF and RANS as well as other modeling options that are computationally fast while retaining higher fidelity than LPF.
Highlights
The development of commercial wave energy converter (WEC) technology is a complex and challenging endeavor
The review focused on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods intermediate to Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) and linear potential flow (LPF), due to the contrasting weaknesses of the RANS and LPF methods, the former being high fidelity but low speed and the later being low fidelity but high speed
A general means of robustly including viscous effects to the potential flow (PF)-based simulations does not appear present and is likely to be important for a broad range of WEC simulation cases
Summary
Weber et al [1] outlined an improved WEC technology development methodology, by introducing a novel Technology Performance Level (TPL) metric to complement the more widely used Technology Readiness Level (TRL) metric (depicted in Figure 1a), and detail an overall R&D management philosophy that is tailored to the challenges of WEC development. Pursuing a Performance before Readiness approach reduces the cost of product development and increases the probability of market entry. The alternative Readiness before Performance approach (depicted by trajectory B in Figure 1b), reduces the probability of market entry and, in wave energy, virtually guarantees bankruptcy [1]
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