Experimental study of the hydrodynamic performance of an onshore wave power device in the presence of an underwater mound

The hydrodynamic functioning of an oscillating water column (OWC) in the presence of an underwater tri-dimensional mound (UTDM) through large-scale ocean engineering basin experiments is described. Experiments are carried out with both regular and irregular waves and are compared to numerical models. The analysis is based on the measurements of the wave amplification in the water column for the OWC performance and on surface deformation upwave and over the UTDM for the wave transformation due to both UTDM and OWC. A significant increase of the capture-width ratio due to wave focusing above the mound is observed experimentally. This wave focusing is also well described numerically with a refraction–diffraction model. The wave amplification in the water column for both regular and irregular waves is compared to results from a linear potential model based on an integral matching method. Linear behaviour of the hydrodynamic response of the device is verified for both open and partially closed conditions, in particular for irregular waves.     

A time-domain simulator for an oscillating water column in irregular waves at model scale

This paper presents a 1D time-domain model for an oscillating water column (OWC) based on previous works on trapped air cavities for marine vehicles. The paper describes the coupling between the hydrodynamic and the thermodynamic forces for an OWC with an orifice. The model enables to obtain the water elevation and pressure variation inside the chamber in the time-domain for regular and irregular waves. The numerical predictions are compared with experimental data performed on a model scale OWC.     

CFD modelling of a small–scale fixed multi–chamber OWC device

Wave Energy Converters (WECs) have excellent potential as a source of renewable energy that is yet to be commercially realised. Recent attention has focused on the installation of Oscillating Water Column (OWC) devices as a part of harbor walls to provide advantages of cost–sharing structures and proximity of power generation facilities to existing infrastructure. In this paper, an incompressible three–dimensional CFD model is constructed to simulate a fixed Multi–Chamber OWC (MC–OWC) device. The CFD model is validated; the simulation results are found to be in good agreement with experimental results obtained from a scale physical model tested in a wave tank. The validated CFD model is then used for a benchmark study of 96 numerical tests. These investigate the effects of the PTO damping caused by the power take–off (PTO) system on device performance. The performance is assessed for a range of regular wave heights and periods. The results demonstrate that a PTO system with an intermediate damping can be used for all chambers in the MC–OWC device for most wave period ranges, except for the long wave periods. These require a higher PTO damping. An increased incident wave height reduces the device capture width ratio, but there is a noticeable improvement for long wave periods.     

基于VOF模型的OWC气室波浪场数值分析

近年来,振荡水柱形式在波能转换装置中得到了广泛应用,由于波况不同,需对气室加以研究并对其形状参量进行优化,从而使空气流速和能量转换达到最大值.利用基于VOF模型建立二维数值波浪水槽,将数值计算的振荡水柱在气室内的升沉运动与物理模型试验进行比较,验证其正确性,并将OWC气室的研究手段予以推广.     

Analysis of Wells turbine design parameters by numerical simulation of the OWC performance

This paper investigates by numerical simulation the influence of the Wells turbine aerodynamic design on the overall plant performance, as affected by the turbine peak efficiency and the range of flow rates within which the turbine can operate efficiently. The problem of matching the turbine to an oscillating water column (OWC) is illustrated by taking the wave climate and the OWC of the Azores power converter. The study was performed using a time-domain mathematical model based on linear water wave theory and on model experiments in a wave tank. Results are presented of numerical simulations considering several aerodynamic designs of the Wells turbine, with and without guide vanes, and with the use of a bypass pressure-relief valve.     

Investigations on 3D effects and correlation between wave height and lip submergence of an offshore stationary OWC wave energy converter

Understanding the hydrodynamic interactions between ocean waves and the oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter is crucial for improving the device performance. Most previous relevant studies have focused on testing onshore and offshore OWCs using 2D models and wave flumes. Conversely, this paper provides experimental results for a 3D offshore stationary OWC device subjected to regular waves of different heights and periods under a constant power take–off (PTO) damping simulated by an orifice plate of fixed diameter. In addition, a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model based on the RANS equations and volume of fluid (VOF) surface capturing scheme was developed and validated against the experimental data. Following the validation stage, an extensive campaign of computational tests was performed to (1) discover the impact of testing such an offshore OWC in a 2D domain or a wave flume on device efficiency and (2) investigate the correlation between the incoming wave height and the OWC front wall draught for a maximum efficiency via testing several front lip draughts for two different rear lip draughts under two wave heights and a constant PTO damping. It is found that the 2D and wave flume modelling of an offshore OWC significantly overestimate the overall power extraction efficiency, especially for wave frequencies higher than the chamber resonant frequency. Furthermore, a front lip submergence equal to the wave amplitude affords maximum efficiency whilst preventing air leakage, hence it is recommended that the front lip draught is minimized.     

振荡水柱波能发电装置气室的三维数值模拟研究

振荡水柱装置是目前世界上应用最为广泛的岸式波能发电装置.气室作为该装置的主要结构可将入射波浪的能量转换为往复振荡的气流动能,是完成能量一次转换的关键结构.为了建立用于考察入射波浪、气室内的波面振荡变化,准确预测气室工作性能的三维数值模拟模型,构建了基于VOF模型的三维数值波浪水槽.通过与物理模型试验的结果对比发现,该模...     

Numerical study of air chamber for oscillating water column wave energy convertor

Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave energy converting system is one of the most widely used facilities all over the world.The air chamber is utilized to convert the wave energy into the pneumatic energy.The numerical wave tank based on the two-phase VOF model is established in the present study to investigate the operating performance of OWC air chamber.The RANS equations,standard k-ε turbulence model and dynamic mesh technology are employed in the numerical model.The effects of incident wave conditions and shape parameters on the wave energy converting efficiency are studied and the capability of the present numerical wave tank on the corresponding engineering application is validated.     

岸式振荡水柱波能装置的波浪载荷及保护措施探讨

本文对振荡水柱波能装置的水柱做了时域计算，研究了内水柱在气室处于封闭状态、有阻尼状态和无阻尼状态下的动力响应。得出了相应的波浪载荷，并对波能装置的几种保护措施作了探讨。数值结果表明，带有阻尼的气室不能有效地阻止内水柱的运动，将使结构承受危险载荷的打击；全封闭的气室能有效地阻止内水柱的运动，但可能使气室里产生高压；收缩口与破浪锥联合作用，可以消耗水柱的动能，大大地减少载荷，是一种有前途的保护措施。     

强非线性和色散性Boussinesq方程数值模型检验

采用同位网格有限差分法,建立了强非线性和色散性Boussinesq方程数值计算模型。以稳恒波Fourier近似解给定入射波边界条件,对均匀水深深水和浅水域不同非线性的行进波、缓坡地形上深水至浅水域的浅水变形波、以及缓坡和陡坡地形上的波浪水槽实验进行了数值计算,并将计算结果与解析解、解析数值解以及实验值进行了较为详细的比较,从而检验了模型的色散性、非线性以及不同底坡下非线性波的浅水变形性能。     

非对称垂荡式振荡水柱波能转换装置的水动力性能

为提升波能转换装置的经济竞争力,针对非对称垂荡式振荡水柱（OWC）波能转换装置,基于势流理论和匹配特征函数展开法,通过引入盖根堡多项式近似表征结构尖角附近的流场奇异性行为,深入研究后墙吃水深度（非对称）、墙体厚度和线性弹簧系数对垂荡式OWC装置的波能转换效率、透射系数、气室内平均液面高程等水动力参数的影响规律。研究结果显示,后墙吃水深度及墙体厚度的增加会提升装置在长波区域的高效转换能力,并且显著提高结构物整体阻波防浪性能;线性弹簧的出现,能调节水柱振荡和结构垂荡运动响应之间的相位差,从而有效拓宽垂荡式OWC装置的高效频率带。     

On the tuning of a wave-energy driven oscillating-water-column seawater pump to polychromatic waves

Performance of wave-energy devices of the oscillating water column (OWC) type is greatly enhanced when a resonant condition with the forcing waves is maintained. The natural frequency of such systems can in general be tuned to resonate with a given wave forcing frequency. In this paper we address the tuning of an OWC sea-water pump to polychromatic waves. We report results of wave tank experiments, which were conducted with a scale model of the pump. Also, a numerical solution for the pump equations, which were proven in previous work to successfully describe its behavior when driven by monochromatic waves, is tested with various polychromatic wave spectra. Results of the numerical model forced by the wave trains measured in the wave tank experiments are used to develop a tuning criterion for the sea-water pump.     

Effects of Rotor Solidity on the Performance of Impulse Turbine for OWC Wave Energy Converter

Impulse turbine, working as a typical self-rectifying turbine, is recently utilized for the oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converters, which can rotate in the same direction under the bi-directional air flows. A numerical model established in Fluent is validated by the corresponding experimental results. The flow fields, pressure distribution and dimensionless evaluating coefficients can be calculated and analyzed. Effects of the rotor solidity varying with the change of blade number are investigated and the suitable solidity value is recommended for different flow coefficients.     

Wave Loads and Protective Techniques of An On-Shore Wave Power Device

In this paper, the extreme wave loads on an on-shore wave power device are investigated. First, boundary element method is applied to solve the three dimensional potential problem based on the small amplitude wave assumption. Then the motion of the Oscillating Water Column (OWC) inside the device and its laods on the device are calculated in time domain. Several protective techniques often applied are simulated by changing the constraint of the upper end of the chamber of the device. Numerical results are used to judge the effectiveness of these techniques. The investigation shows that damping can not effectively restrain the motion of OWC when the period of incident wave is long, which may cause dangerous loads on the structure. The shut chamber can effectively restrain the motion of OWC, but alternatively cause high pressure in the chamber. A Contracting opening with a Taper (CT) can exhaust a great amount of kinetic energy of OWC, and significantly decrease the loads. It is a promising protective tec     

The numerical study of wave-induced pore water pressure response in highly permeable seabed

The coupling numerical model of wave interaction with porous medium is used to study waveinduced pore water pressure in high permeability seabed.In the model,the wave field solver is based on the two dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS) equations with a k-ε closure,and Forchheimer equations are adopted for flow within the porous media.By introducing a Velocity-Pressure Correction equation for the wave flow and porous flow,a highly efficient coupling between the two flows is implemented.The numerical tests are conducted to study the effects of seabed thickness,porosity,particle size and intrinsic permeability coefficient on regular wave and solitary wave-induced pore water pressure response.The results indicate that,as compared with regular wave-induced,solitary wave-induced pore water pressure has larger values and stronger action on seabed with different parameters.The results also clearly show the flow characteristics of pore water flow within seabed and water wave flow on seabed.The maximum pore water flow velocities within seabed under solitary wave action are higher than those under regular wave action.     

Generation and Properties of Freak Waves in A Numerical Wave Tank

Freak waves are generated based on the mechanism of wave focusing in a 2D numerical wave tank. To set up the nonlinear numerical wave tank, the Boundary Element Method is used to solve potential flow equations incorporated with fully nonlinear free surface boundary conditions. The nonlinear properties of freak waves, such as high frequency components and wave profile asymmetry, are discussed. The kinematic data, which can be useful for the evaluation of the wave forces exerted on structures to avoid underestimation of linear predictions, are obtained, and discussed, from the simulated results of freak waves.     

Numerical study of the motions and drift force of a floating OWC device

The motion and the drift force of a floating OWC (oscillating water column) wave energy device in regular waves are studied taking account of the oscillating surface-pressure due to the pressure drop across the duct of the air chamber. The potential problem inside the chamber is formulated by making use of the Green integral equation associated with the Rankine-type Green function while the outer problem with the Kelvin-type Green function. The added mass, wave damping and excitation coefficients as well as the motion and drift force of the OWC device are calculated for various values of parameter related to the pressure drop.     

Application of potential flow methods to fast displacement ships at transcritical speeds in shallow water

Computer codes implementing three different numerical methods for the prediction of ship squat at transcritical speeds in shallow open-water are tested. SlenderFlow is a potential flow code specifically for ships in very shallow water, based on partially dispersive slender body theory. Flotilla is a potential flow code based on fully dispersive thin-ship theory. Rapid is a general nonlinear free-surface panel code. Code predictions of transcritical sinkage, trim and resistance in laterally unrestricted water were compared to the experimental results of Graff (1964) for two Taylor series hulls in a finite-width towing tank. Once tank width effects were accounted for, each of the three codes was found to give good predictions within the valid range of the underlying theory. A simple method for estimating transcritical wave resistance from trim is presented.     

Three-dimensional numerical simulation on the interaction of solitary waves and porous breakwaters

A three-dimensional (3D) large-eddy-simulation model with macroscopic model equations of porous flow is proposed to investigate solitary waves interacting with permeable breakwaters. The major objective of this paper is twofold. First, we seek to evaluate the present model through the comparison with available simulated and measured data in the literature. The second aim, given the 3D nature of flow past a permeable breakwater, the variations of permeable breakwater modeled on both macroscopic and microscopic scales are examined. First validation is carried out with experiments on solitary wave propagation in a 3D wave basin and then runup on a vertical permeable breakwater with a gap in the lateral direction. A satisfactory agreement on the free surface elevation time series is obtained between model and measured results. Second, we replicate the experiments on a solitary wave interaction with a submerged permeable breakwater in a two-dimensional narrow wave flume. The porous medium is composed of spheres with a uniform size and arranged in a non-staggered regular pattern such that the porous medium can thus be modeled on macroscopic and microscopic scales. The numerical calculations indicate that the results obtained with macroscopic and microscopic modeling both fit the measurements fairly well in terms of the free surface elevations and velocity fields. Specifically, the microscopic modeling better simulates detailed phenomena such as flow injection from the porous medium and the initial stage of the formation of the main vortex in the leeward face of the obstacle. After the solitary wave completely propagates over the permeable object, the discrepancies between macroscopic and microscopic model results are insignificant. More accurate 3D results are used to determine the trajectories of fluid particles around the porous object to help understand the possible sediment movements in suspensions.     

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of oblique wave action on vertical walls

1 Introduction A vertical wall is one of the typical maritime sheltering structures in the coastal region, which is mainly subjected to wave forces. It has been a com- mon engineering assumption adopted for design pur- poses that normally incident wave fo…