Abstract
The hydrodynamic performance of a floating cylindrical oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter is investigated experimentally and numerically. The physical experiment is carried out in a wave flume at Dalian University of Technology. The floating cylindrical OWC device is constrained by springs and only moves vertically. A second-order time-domain Higher-Order Boundary Element Method, based on the perturbation expansion technique, is used to simulate the nonlinear wave interaction with the floating OWC device. The nonlinear terms concerning the pneumatic and viscous damping are introduced to the free surface boundary conditions inside the OWC chamber. The chamber surface elevation and air pressure, the hydrodynamic efficiency, and the vertical displacement of the OWC device are examined in detail. Good agreements are obtained between experimental data and numerical results. Then, the effects of opening ratio, wave steepness, mooring stiffness and chamber draft on the hydrodynamic performance are then investigated. It is found that the optimal opening ratio is between 0.02 and 0.03. The mooring stiffness plays an important role on the hydrodynamic response of the OWC device. The hydrodynamic efficiency and effective frequency bandwidth increase with the mooring stiffness.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.