Wave Energy Conversion Devices Research Articles

Numerical Analysis and Validation of Horizontal and Vertical Displacements of a Floating Body for Different Wave Periods

This study concentrates on numerically evaluating the behavior of a floating body with a box format. Although research on floating objects has been conducted, the numerical modeling of Wave Energy Converter (WEC) devices, considering the effects of fluctuations, remains underexplored. Therefore, this research intends to facilitate the analysis of floating devices. First, the experimental data served as a benchmark for evaluating the motion paths of the floating box’s centroid. Second, the effects of various wave periods and heights on the floating body’s movement were analyzed. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) multiphase model was applied to simulate the interactions between phases. The computational model involved solving governing equations of mass conservation, volumetric fraction transport, and momentum, employing the Finite Volume Method (FVM). The validation demonstrated that the Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) for the x/h ratio was 3.3% for a wave height of 0.04 m and 4.4% for a wave height of 0.1 m. Moreover, the NRMSE for the z-coordinate to the depth of water (z/h) was higher, at 5% for a wave height of 0.04 m and 5.8% for a wave height of 0.1 m. The overall NRMSE remained within acceptable ranges, indicating the reliability of the numerical solutions. Additionally, the analysis of horizontal and vertical velocities at different wave periods and heights showed that for H = 0.04 m, the wave periods had a minimal impact on the amplitude, but the oscillation frequency varied. At H = 0.1 m, both velocities exhibited significantly larger amplitudes, especially for T = 1.2 s and T = 2.0 s, indicating stronger motion with higher wave heights.

Geometric Evaluation of an Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converter Device Using Representative Regular Waves of the Sea State Found in Tramandaí, Brazil

Aiming to contribute to studies related to the generation of electrical energy from renewable sources, this study carried out a geometric investigation of an oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter (WEC) device. The structure of this device consists of a hydropneumatic chamber and an air duct, where a turbine is coupled to an electrical energy generator. When waves hit the device, the air inside it is pressurized and depressurized, causing the air to flow through the duct, activating the turbine. In this sense, the present study used the constructal design method to evaluate the influence of the ratio between the height and length of the hydropneumatic chamber (H1/L) on the mean available hydropneumatic power (PH(RMS)). Fluent software was used to perform numerical simulations of representative regular waves from the sea state in the municipality of Tramandaí, southern Brazil, impacting the OWC. Thus, it was possible to identify the geometry that maximized the performance of the OWC WEC, with (H1/L)O=0.3430, yielding PH(RMS)=56.66 W. In contrast, the worst geometry was obtained with H1/L=0.1985, where PH(RMS)=28.19 W. Therefore, the best case is 101% more efficient than the worst one.

Mechanical interactions modeling of inertial wave energy converters

Numerous technological solutions for wave energy converters (WECs), referred as inertial reaction mass (IRM) systems, incorporate a reacting mass within the floater, coupled with a power take-off (PTO) system, to shelter all electronic components from the hostile sea environment. While the overall complexity of the system increases, the current modeling procedures persist in considering only a limited number of modes of motion, neglecting relevant dynamical effects. In this context, this paper proposes a systematic procedure for defining the kinematic characteristics and overall analytical model for the dynamics of IRM WECs. The significance of the proposed procedure lies in the statement of the reaction mass-related dynamic equation, considering the floater’s parametric excitation in six degrees of freedom (DoF). Additionally, it introduces the procedure for defining the reaction forces that the inertial mass exerts on the floater, which are often neglected in the literature for the full simulation of such systems. Furthermore, the proposed analytical modeling procedure allows the definition of approximated models in more simplified nonlinear forms for dynamic analysis and ultimately in fully linear approximations. This enables the application of methodologies and techniques commonly used in the literature for linear systems. The development of the framework is kept generic, in order to introduce a versatile mathematical procedure, that can be easily adjusted, with minor modifications, to accurately capture and represent the mechanical interaction for a wide family of IRM WEC devices. Subsequently, a case study on a vertical-hinged pendulum WEC is analyzed, to showcase the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Moreover, to test the reliability of the analytical framework, a comparison with the output of a commercial software is conducted.

Numerical investigation of the hydrodynamic properties of oscillating water column air chambers

Abstract The oceans occupy nearly 71% of the Earth’s surface area. The ocean is rich in energy, and wave energy is one of its important components. Therefore, the study of wave energy generation devices is an important issue. In this paper, we analyze the effect of the size of the air chamber structure on the OWC (oscillating water column) wave energy conversion device under the action of unidirectional regular waves. To analyze the performance of the OWC device under real sea conditions, the wave climate at Sanmenxia is used as the experimental parameter. The performance and characteristic response with the variation of incident wave height, air chamber width and front wall thickness, are analyzed. The results show that the incident wave height, air chamber width, and front wall draft have significant effects on the performance of OWC. With the increase of incident wave height, the wave nonlinear effect increases. As the air chamber width decreases, the horizontal surface inside the air chamber undulates smoothly and the standing wave phenomenon disappears.

Techno-economic designs of hybrid wind-wave offshore energy systems and comparison with TOPSIS analysis: an Italian case study

This study assesses multiple hybrid wind and wave floating offshore systems, utilizing a preliminary approach for dimensioning and the TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) analysis method for comparison. It aims to provide an initial evaluation of diverse concepts, emphasizing state-of-the-art combinations of Floating offshore Wind Turbine (FOWT) with Wave Energy Converters (WECs). The criteria for evaluation include system cost, power extraction, WEC integration, dynamic and environmental responses, offering a comprehensive view of performance, economic viability, constructability, operational efficiency, and environmental impact. The findings, derived from the application of these methodologies, are informed by an Italian case study, enriching the insights and illustrating the practical implications of the evaluated hybrid systems within the Italian context. Preliminary results suggest a tendency for semi-submersible platforms to be more suitable for combined with WEC devices.

Optimizing wave energy harvesting through oscillating water columns in semi-submersible energy harvesting platforms: A comprehensive study on enhancing efficiency and competitiveness

In coastal regions with substantial wave energy potential, significant efforts have been dedicated to advancing both the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Technology Performance Level (TPL) of Wave Energy Converters (WECs). Despite their promising energy generation capabilities, the widespread adoption of WEC devices faces a notable challenge in the form of their relatively high Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). This economic hurdle hampers their competitiveness when compared to conventional fossil fuels and other renewable energy sources. Oscillating Water Columns (OWCs) stand out due to their noteworthy potential, primarily attributed to their low Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs. To enhance the energy performance of OWC arrays and pave the way for hybrid offshore energy solutions, the integration of a semi-submersible Energy Harvesting Platform (EHP) is proposed. This integration involves configuring the array with specific OWC End-Stop limitations and geometry to establish resonant conditions during the predominant wave, thereby optimizing constructive interactions and desirable OWC motion with the EHP's heave, pitch, and roll. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is employed for this optimization process. Additionally, a novel parameter, the In Situ Interaction Factor (ISIF) is introduced, to evaluate the EHP's power capture performance. This metric compares the actual energy harvested from the array of WECs on the platform to the cumulative energy harvested by each device in isolation. Notably, ISIF achieved a remarkable value of 1.99, highlighting the highly efficient constructive interaction achieved through the precise positioning of OWCs. This resulted in nearly doubling the power capture compared to 23 OWCs operating in isolation, underscoring the potential of the EHP in harnessing wave energy. Validation of the analytical analysis was conducted using the open-source Boundary Element Method (BEM) tool NEMOH, alongside reference to the experimental studies.

Theoretical modeling of a bottom-raised oscillating surge wave energy converter structural loadings and power performances

This study presents theoretical formulations to evaluate the fundamental parameters and performance characteristics of a bottom-raised oscillating surge wave energy converter (OSWEC) device. Employing a flat plate assumption and potential flow formulation in elliptical coordinates, closed-form equations for the added mass, radiation damping, and excitation forces/torques in the relevant pitch-pitch and surge-pitch directions of motion are developed and used to calculate the system's response amplitude operator and the forces and moments acting on the foundation. The model is benchmarked against numerical simulations using WAMIT and WEC-Sim, showcasing excellent agreement. The sensitivity of plate thickness on the analytical hydrodynamic solutions is investigated over several thickness-to-width ratios ranging from 1:80 to 1:10. The results show that as the thickness of the benchmark OSWEC increases, the deviation of the analytical hydrodynamic coefficients from the numerical solutions grows from 3 % to 25 %. Differences in the excitation forces and torques, however, are contained within 12 %. While the flat plate assumption is a limitation of the proposed analytical model, the error is within a reasonable margin for use in the design space exploration phase before a higher-fidelity (and thus more computationally expensive) model is employed. A parametric study demonstrates the ability of the analytical model to quickly sweep over a domain of OSWEC dimensions, illustrating the analytical model's utility in the early phases of design.

Analytical solutions for hydrodynamic responses of arrays of floating truncated cylinders using multi-term Galerkin method and its application to a new wave energy converter device

In the context of linear water wave theory, the analytical solutions for the diffraction and radiation of a truncated cylinder array are developed in the presence of ambient incident waves. Each cylinder in the array can oscillate with five degrees of freedom (DOFs), i.e., surge, sway, heave, roll, and pitch. This paper adopts the multi-term Galerkin method to expand the fluid velocity at the interface of different regions into a set of basis functions containing Gegenbauer polynomials, which accurately and efficiently characterizes the cube root singularity of the fluid velocity near the edges of the truncated cylinders. Using the dynamic equilibrium equations, the amplitudes of each DOF of the cylinders in the array are solved. The analytical solution presented in this paper converges rapidly, and high-precision hydrodynamic response results can be obtained using just a few truncated terms (e.g., the upper bounds of m0 = 5 and p0 = 22 can yield results of five-figure accuracy). For the 4-cylinder array, under the same accuracy conditions (the error less than 1%), the computation time of the conventional method developed by Zeng et al. [“Hydrodynamic interactions between waves and cylinder arrays of relative motions composed of truncated floating cylinders with five degrees of freedom,” J. Fluids Struct. 115, 103785 (2022d)] based on the exact algebraic method [Kagemoto and Yue, “Interactions among multiple three-dimensional bodies in water waves: An exact algebraic method,” J. Fluid Mech. 166, 189–209 (1986)] is 3.9 times longer than that of the present method. As the number of cylinders increases, the advantage of the present method in terms of convergence speed becomes more apparent, e.g., for the 16-cylinder array, the conventional solution takes 6.3 times longer than the present solution. To extract wave energy more efficiently, a new 5DOF wave energy converter (WEC) device that can extract energy in 5DOFs is proposed. The present method is adopted to investigate the hydrodynamic performance of the 5DOF WEC arrays. Compared with the traditional 1DOF (heave) WEC, the 5DOF WEC can significantly improve the energy capture performance of arrays, especially in the high-frequency wave region.

Improving the Amount of Captured Energy of a Point-Absorber WEC on the Mexican Coast

Although there are constant improvements in wave energy converter (WEC) technology, it is crucial to investigate site-specific sea conditions for optimal power absorption and efficiency. This study compares the efficiency of a floating buoy-type WEC device, with three differently shaped floats: a semi-sphere, a cylinder considered suitable for a location near Ensenada, on the Baja California peninsula, and a novel, rounded, semi-rectangular float. A statistical analysis of the wave climate of the last 42 years was performed to define the conditions to which the device is subjected. The WEC location was chosen for shallow waters, using a computational model that solves the modified mild slope equation. The hydrodynamic response of the three float designs was then analyzed in the frequency and time domains, using the software ANSYS AQWA 19.2, to assess the dynamics of the floating body, the forces exerted, and the power absorbed, as well as the suitability of the proposed power take-off (PTO) system. The findings show that the proposed float design absorbs the most energy, with an annual power of 135.11 MW, and that the PTO mechanism is appropriate.

A new numerical modelling framework for fixed oscillating water column wave energy conversion device combining BEM and CFD methods: Validation with experiments

The Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave energy converter has been shown to have high potential, thus rendering extensive development in recent years. In order to further accelerate its development, highly accurate yet computationally efficient tools are necessary particularly when studying the interaction of multiple OWC devices. This paper proposes a new framework for fixed OWC devices with an orifice, that uses the input from a high fidelity non-linear numerical model to improve the accuracy of a low fidelity linear numerical model keeping computational costs low. This is done by accounting for the non-linearities in the pressure-flow of an orifice in the input to the linear numerical model. Experimental data is used to validate the framework, thus providing an accurate and computationally efficient linear numerical model, that can be used for the preliminary analysis of fixed OWC devices.

Economic feasibility study for wave energy conversion device deployment in Faroese waters

As the world continues to battle with increasing energy demand along with the serious effects of climate change, there is a need for more reliable renewable energy sources. The objective of the present work is to study the economic feasibility for deployment of wave energy conversion devices in the Faroese coastal region. We analyze eight different wave energy conversion concepts under development at nine different nearshore locations in the Faroese coastal region. The nine different locations are classified into three coastal locations — three on the west coast, three on the east coast and three on the north coast. The eight wave energy conversion devices mostly rely on different working principles, though some of these are similar. Results show that there is quite a significant difference in the performance of the devices from coast to coast. There is also a difference between the different conversion devices as they rely on different principles and the suitability of each device varies from location to location. We also show that the Faroe Islands are a suitable location for wave energy converter deployment compared to other places. Furthermore, results show that the performance of wave energy converters in the Faroe Islands can prove to be a direct competitor to offshore floating wind energy.

Hydrodynamic performance study of shore-based oscillating water column wave energy conversion device

Hydrodynamic performance study of shore-based oscillating water column wave energy conversion device

Research on Excitation Estimation for Ocean Wave Energy Generators Based on Extended Kalman Filtering

Wave energy generation methods have significant energy costs. The implementation of sophisticated control techniques in wave energy generators can lower the cost of power generation by optimizing the energy recovered from wave energy converters (WECs). To determine control inputs, most control systems rely on knowledge of the wave excitation force, including information on past, present, and future excitation forces. For the excitation of WEC devices, wave excitation force can only be inferred and predicted because it is an unmeasurable quantity. One of the more widely used observers in wave excitation estimates at the moment is the Kalman filter, but its use is primarily restricted to linear Kalman filtering. The mooring system is an integral component of floating wave energy producers. The mooring force of the device is actually nonlinear; however, the majority of current studies on excitation estimates for wave energy producers based on Kalman filter methods employ an ideal motion model based on the linearization of the mooring force. This paper, in an attempt to make things more realistic, creates a WEC system with highly nonlinear mooring forces, suggests a way to build a wave excitation force estimator for a nonlinear WEC system using the extended Kalman filtering method, and assesses the impact of various factors, such as measurement noise, random phase, and the number of equal-energy methods dividing the frequency, on the accuracy of the wave excitation force estimate.

Innovative Design of a Sea Wave Energy Harnesser

The aim of this research is to design and develop a simple, light and cost-effective wave energy conversion device. The mass to power ratio is of importance to achieve high working efficiency. In addition proper control concept is proposed for various sea wave conditions to manage the system optimally. . their operation. This research addresses the above two problems by considering the system mechanical structure and schemes designed to achieve optimal control. Methods employed to achieve maximum power output are inevitably non-causal and require prediction of the shape of the incident waves. The potential wave resource in South Africa is enormous as there are over 2000 km of coastline with an annual wave height average of 2-3 m. One of the most efficient wave energy extractor is the hinged wave energy converter (HIWEC) whereby the wave force is applied to a responsive mechanism able to resist the working force of the waves. The hinged mechanism used in this project is of the power take-off (PTO) type. The PTO captures the wave energy and then between the wave’s time intervals transfers it to be converted and stored. Control of the response of the HIWEC can be achieved through active tuning of the PTO. As wave energy is intermittent, the supplied electrical power will show strong variations unless an energy storage system is available. The energy storage system consists of several series connected gas accumulators, placed in the hydraulic circuit to produce a smoothing effect.

Enhancing Wave Energy Conversion Efficiency through Supervised Regression Machine Learning Models

The incorporation of machine learning (ML) has yielded substantial benefits in detecting nonlinear patterns across a wide range of applications, including offshore engineering. Existing ML works, specifically supervised regression models, have not undergone exhaustive scrutiny, and there are no potential or concurrent models for improving the performance of wave energy converter (WEC) devices. This study employs supervised regression ML models, including multi-layer perceptron, support vector regression, and XGBoost, to optimize the geometric aspects of an asymmetric WEC inspired by Salter’s duck, based on key parameters. These important parameters, the ballast weight and its position, vary along a guided line within the available geometric resilience of the asymmetric WEC. Each supervised regression ML model was fine-tuned through hyperparameter optimization using Grid cross-validation. When evaluating the performance of each ML model, it became evident that the tuned hyperparameters of XGBoost led to predictions that strongly aligned with the actual values compared to other models. Furthermore, the study extended to assess the performance of the optimized WEC at the designated deployment test site location.

Hydrodynamic responses and layout optimization of wave energy converter arrays consisting of five-degree-of-freedom truncated cylinders in front of a vertical wall

The hydrodynamic responses and layout optimization of a group of cylindrical wave energy conversion devices (WEC) in front of a fully reflecting vertical wall are investigated. Each truncated floating cylinder can oscillate with five degrees of freedom, i.e., surge, sway, heave, roll, and pitch. Based on the linear water wave theory, an analytical solution is developed for the hydrodynamic problem. The results of specific parameter studies suggest that the wall reflection effect significantly improves the energy extraction performance of the WEC array with the appropriate parameter conditions. A multi-level optimization method based on a genetic algorithm is developed. This paper investigates the optimal layout of the six WEC arrays, composed of 2–7 buoys, respectively. Additionally, the impact of other degrees of freedom (DOFs), besides the heave mode, on the hydrodynamic performance of the array is investigated. For β ≤ π/12, there is no need to consider the impact of other DOFs on the energy extraction in heave mode. The dimensionless amplitudes of other DOFs gradually decrease as the equivalent constraint stiffness increases. For k0a > 1.0, the heave amplitude and energy capture performance of the WEC array are significantly smaller. However, the amplitudes of other DOFs still have considerable magnitudes for k0a > 1.0. Therefore, for the sea area with high-frequency incident waves (k0a > 1.0), setting up a power takeoff system on other DOFs of each buoy to extract energy is a feasible solution to improve the performance of the WEC array.

Design and Evaluation of the Compact and Autonomous Energy Subsystem of a Wave Energy Converter

This paper presents the results of the design process focused on the development of the energy subsystem (ES) of a wave energy converter (WEC). The ES is an important electrical part that significantly affects the energy reliability and energy efficiency of the entire WEC device. The designed ES was intended for compact WECs powering IoT network devices working in the distributed grid. The developed ES is an electronic circuit consisting of three cooperating subsystems used for energy conversion, energy storage, and energy management. The energy conversion subsystem was implemented as a set of single-phase bridge rectifiers. The energy storage subsystem was a battery-less implementation based on the capacitors. The energy management subsystem was implemented as a supervisory circuit and boost converter assembly. The designed ES was verified using the physical experiment method. The model experiment reflected the operation of the designed ES with a piezoelectric PZT-based WEC. The experimental results showed a 41.5% surplus of the energy supplied by ES over the energy demanded by the considered load at a duty cycle of ca. 6 min—37.2 mJ over 26.3 mJ, respectively. The obtained results have been evaluated and discussed. The results confirmed the designed ES as a convenient solution, which makes a significant contribution to the compact WECs that can be applied among others to a distributed grid of autonomous IoT network devices powered by free and renewable energy of sea waves. Finally, it will also enable sustainable development of mobile and wireless communication in those maritime areas where other forms of renewable energy may not be available.

A preliminary study of a novel wave energy converter of a Scotch Yoke mechanism-based power take-off

This work proposes a novel concept to harvest power from ocean waves using a Scotch Yoke mechanism to transmit the heave motion of the buoy into the rotation of an off-the-shelf rotary generator. The novel transmission mechanism is proposed to tackle some of the main obstacles of ocean waves energy harvesters associated with the reliance on resonance and the high expenses related to the large device dimensions and permanent magnet linear generators. The Scotch Yoke mechanism converts the linear wave motion of a harmonic nature into rotary generator motion, coinciding with the nature of ocean waves. A mathematical model is constructed relating the hydrodynamics of the float to the non-linear resistive forces of the power take-off. Simulations are conducted for two different devices, including a typical large-scale-up wave energy converter device and a relatively small scaled-down wave energy converter device that can be placed close to the shore. The simulation results showcase that the large scale device can have a peak harvesting efficiency of up to 42%, while the small scale device can have a peak harvesting efficiency of up to 34%. This is of great importance as the small device can be used with an off-the-shelf rotary generator, and can be placed close to the shoreline further lowering the cost of manufacturing, installation, and maintenance allowing easier access to the device. Also, to validate the concept, a small scaled-down device has been fabricated, and dry-tested. The tested power take-off is proven to be able to harvest energy from linear harmonic oscillating buoy motions with a peak efficiency of 49% (not including the hydrodynamic efficiency).

Constructal Design Applied to an Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converter Device under Realistic Sea State Conditions

In this work, we conducted a numerical analysis of an oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter (WEC) device. The main objective of this research was to conduct a geometric evaluation of the device by defining an optimal configuration that maximized its available hydrodynamic power while employing realistic sea data. To achieve this objective, the WaveMIMO methodology was used. This is characterized by the conversion of realistic sea data into time series of the free surface elevation. These time series were processed and transformed into water velocity components, enabling transient velocity data to be used as boundary conditions for the generation of numerical irregular waves in the Fluent 2019 R2 software. Regular waves representative of the sea data were also generated in order to evaluate the hydrodynamic performance of the device in comparison to the realistic irregular waves. For the geometric analysis, the constructal design method was utilized. The hydropneumatic chamber volume and the total volume of the device were adopted as geometric constraints and remained constant. Three degrees of freedom (DOF) were used for this study: H1/L is the ratio between the height and length of the hydropneumatic chamber, whose values were varied, and H2/l (ratio between height and length of the turbine duct) and H3 (submergence depth of hydropneumatic chamber) were kept constant. The best performance was observed for the device geometry with H1/L= 0.1985, which presented an available hydropneumatic power Phyd of 29.63 W. This value was 4.34 times higher than the power generated by the worst geometry performance, which was 6.83 W, obtained with an H1/L value of 2.2789, and 2.49 times higher than the power obtained by the device with the same dimensions as those from the one on Pico island, which was 11.89 W. When the optimal geometry was subjected to regular waves, a Phyd of 30.50 W was encountered.

Optimization of parameters of the OWC wave energy converter device using MLP and XGBoost models

In the present work, we have studied the performance of a breakwater-integrated quarter-circle-shaped front wall OWC device under the influence of irregular incident waves. Firstly, the boundary value problem associated with the hydrodynamics of OWC device is handled for solution using the dual boundary element method (BEM). To examine the complex relationships between all input features and the target variable in a time-efficient manner, supervised machine learning models are developed. Here, two different models: (i) multilayer perceptron (MLP) model based on an artificial neural network, and (ii) a tree ensemble model, namely the XGBoost model are developed. The submergence depth of the front wall of the OWC device, chamber length, rotational speed, and diameter of the turbine blade are considered as input attributes, and the average annual power generated by the OWC device is considered as the output attribute. The MLP model is employed to optimize these input parameters, leveraging the insights provided by the XGBoost model to maximize the annual average power generation. From the dual BEM based numerical results, and using the Latin hypercube sampling technique, 3750 samples were generated to train, validate, and test the machine learning models. Using the XGBoost model with the support of accumulated local effect plots, we find four specific regions of the input space in which the annual average power extraction will be maximum. Hereafter, an extended input database is generated with twenty equally spaced levels for each parameter and the dataset is passed through the developed MLP model to find the optimized values of the parameters of the OWC device which maximizes the power generation. It is obtained that the maximum power generation is attained for y0/h=−0.65, r/h=3, 2.8≤D≤3 and 70≤N≤80∪105≤N≤116.