Abstract
The interaction between regular water waves and the oscillating water column (OWC) geometry is presented in this work. The OWC has a vertical cylindrical geometry, with walls of negligible thickness. Water waves are generated in a numerical wave tank, with the commercial CFD code Fluent, where the dynamic mesh feature and the VOF Model is used for wave generation and the water-air interaction, respectively. The flow is assumed to be viscous, unsteady and incompressible for the numerical model. To focus on the flow inside, 3D, single phase modelling of the OWC device itself is handled by adopting a piston-like pumping flow, using the free surface elevation data found in the former model as an input. To validate the results, a simplified theoretical model of a wave energy converter, namely the Japanese multi- OWC barge Kaimei is used. The theoretical model is based on the theory of a compressible air flow where the free surface elevation is assumed to be one dimensional.
Highlights
The global power potential represented by waves that hit all coasts worldwide, has been estimated to be in the order of 1 TW (1 terawatt=1012 W)
Amongst the numerous devices that have been suggested for wave energy conversion, the oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy device is probably the most extensively studied type
El Marjani et al [12] and Paixãdo Conde and Gato [13] presented work devoted to the numerical modelling in wave energy conversion systems where the flow characteristics of the OWC system were predicted based on the same manner of the 3D flow simulations of this paper
Summary
The global power potential represented by waves that hit all coasts worldwide, has been estimated to be in the order of 1 TW (1 terawatt=1012 W). Amongst the numerous devices that have been suggested for wave energy conversion, the oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy device is probably the most extensively studied type. A. Hiramoto [3] studied the theoretical analysis of an air turbine generation system that is not affected by the water waves and remains stationary which forms the underlying principles for the theoretical model of this paper. Hiramoto [3] studied the theoretical analysis of an air turbine generation system that is not affected by the water waves and remains stationary which forms the underlying principles for the theoretical model of this paper In another early publication, Evans [4] investigated the OWC performance, treating it as a boundary value problem with the extensive use of matched asymptotic expansions and the linear wave theory. El Marjani et al [12] and Paixãdo Conde and Gato [13] presented work devoted to the numerical modelling in wave energy conversion systems where the flow characteristics of the OWC system were predicted based on the same manner of the 3D flow simulations of this paper
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