Study of U-shaped sloshing tanks to tune Wave Energy Converters through high-fidelity CFD simulations as geometry changes

Abstract

This paper investigates the dynamics of aU-shaped sloshing tank varying its geometrical properties. The U - tank is designed to be coupled and integrated within a floating Wave Energy Converter, generating a second peak in its dynamic and allowing a bandwidth widening or a response amplification. The geometrical and liquid-filling properties directly affect the dynamics according to analytic models until second-order effects arise, such as secondary sloshing in the free-surface place, for in-stance, due to broader reservoirs or the elbows becoming sharper for manufacturing purposes. In light of the above considerations, a high-fidelity simulation is performed to overcome all those effects that are not considered in the simplified models. The results show a performance decrease when the reservoirs become more extensive and the elbow sharper.