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     

Natural frequencies of vertical cylindrical oscillating water column devices

This paper deals with the evaluation of the natural frequencies in heave motion of a single floating Oscillating Water Column device along with the natural frequencies of the water column inside the oscillating chamber. Two types of OWCs are examined, a simple-type device, consisting of a partially immersed toroidal body and a novel-type device, consisting also of a partially immersed toroidal body supplemented however by a coaxial interior truncated cylinder moving in phase with the outer chamber, thus forming a floating unit. Numerical results are given concerning the three boundary value problems, namely, the diffraction, the motion- and the pressure- dependent radiation problems, obtained through an analytical solution method using matched axisymmetric eigenfunction expansion formulations. The effect of the air pressure distribution inside the oscillating chamber on the natural frequencies in heave motion of the two examined types of OWCs and on the natural frequency of the water column motion inside the chamber, is presented and discussed thoroughly. It is demonstrated that the heave natural frequencies are strongly dependent on the type of the examined OWC and the device’s inner air pressure and should be taken into consideration when designing a floating OWC device.     

Numerical study on the reverse drift force of floating BBDB wave energy absorbers

The motions and time-mean horizontal drift forces of floating backward-bent duct buoy wave energy absorbers in regular waves are calculated taking account of the oscillating surface-pressure due to the pressure drop in the air chamber above the oscillating water column within the scope of the linear wave theory. The present numerical results show that the time-mean drift forces of backward-bent duct buoys are in the reverse direction of propagation of the incident waves over specific frequency ranges as found by McCormick through his experimental work. The drift force has been calculated by the near-field method. A brief discussion on Maruo’s formula which shows that the time-mean drift force must be in the direction of propagation of the incident waves, has also been presented.     

Investigation on the Oscillating Buoy Wave Power Device

An oscillating buoy wave power device (OD) is a device extracting wave power by an oscillating buoy. Being excited by waves, the buoy heaves up and down to convert wave energy into electricity by means of a mechanical or hydraulic device. Compared with an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave power device, the OD has the same capture vvidth ratio as the OWC does, but much higher secondary conversion efficiency. Moreover, the chamber of the OWC, which is the most expensive and difficult part to be built, is not necessary for the OD, so it is easier to construct an OD. In this paper, a nu-merical calculation is conducted for an optimal design of the OD firstly, then a model of the device is built and, a model test is carried out in a wave tank. The results show that the total efficiency of the OD is much higher than that of the OWC and that the OD is a promising wave power device.     

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。     

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.     

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。     

Experimental and numerical investigation of non-predictive phase-control strategies for a point-absorbing wave energy converter

Phase control may substantially increase the power absorption in point-absorber wave energy converters. This study deals with validation of dynamic models and latching control algorithms for an oscillating water column (OWC) inside a fixed vertical tube of small circular cross-section by small-scale testing. The paper describes experimental and numerical results for the system's dynamics, using simple and practical latching control techniques that do not require the prediction of waves or wave forces, and which will be relevant to any type of point-absorbing devices.In the experimental set-up, the upper end of the tube was equipped with an outlet duct and a shut-off valve, which could be controlled to give a latching of the inner free surface movement. The pressure drop through the open valve is used as a simplified measure of the energy extraction. The control was realized by using the real-time measurement signals for the inner and outer surface displacement.A mathematical model of the system was established and applied in numerical simulation. In the case the OWC's diameter is much smaller than the wavelength and the wave amplitude much smaller than the draft, the free surface movement inside the tube can be described as an oscillating weightless piston. For this hydrodynamic problem an analytical solution is known. In addition, the mathematical model includes the effects of viscous flow losses, the air compressibility inside the chamber and the pressure drop across the valve. Experimental results were used to calibrate some of the model parameters, and the total model was formulated as a coupled system of six non-linear, first-order differential equations. Time-domain integration was used to simulate the system in order to test the control strategies and compare with experimental results.     

Simulation of wave power devices

Classical frequency and time domain models of a single degree of freedom wave power device are presented. In the time domain, a convolution integral is conventionally used to represent the fluid dynamic radiation force, characterised by added mass and damping in the frequency domain. This integral is replaced by an approximate ordinary differential equation (ODE) model which is faster and more convenient in simulations. A time domain model of the fluid dynamics of an oscillating water column (OWC) device is derived to illustrate the technique. Digital simulations of the OWC are used to compare the accuracy of the classical and ODE models. The simulation of the ODE model runs about six times as fast as the classical model based on convolution, yet characterises the fluid dynamics accurately.     

Design and Experimental Study of A Pile-Based Breakwater Integrated with OWC Chamber

A structure scheme of a pile-based breakwater with integrated oscillating water column(OWC) energy conversion chamber was proposed, and four structure forms had been designed. Based on the physical test, the variations of the reflected wave height, the transmitted wave height, the air velocity at the outlet of the chamber, the air pressure and the wave height in the air chamber were studied under the conditions of different wave heights, periods, with or without elliptical front wall and the baffles on both sides of the chamber. Moreover, based on the results, the changes and relationship between the wave-eliminating effect and energy conversion effect of the scheme were analyzed. In general, it turns out, the transmission coefficients of the four structure forms are kept below 0.5. Furthermore, the transmission coefficients of the structural forms G2, G3, and G4 were all smaller than 0.4, and it is only 0.1 at its smallest. Thereinto, in general, the structure form G4 has the best wave-eliminating and energy conversion performance. At the same time, when the wave steepness is 0.066, the energy conversion and wave dissipation effect of the four structure forms is the best. The research results could be provided as the reference for the design structure selection of pile-based breakwater with integrated OWC energy conversion chamber.     

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.     

Hydrodynamic performance of a pile-supported OWC breakwater: An analytical study

A pile-supported OWC breakwater is a novel marine structure in which an oscillating water column (OWC) is integrated into a pile-supported breakwater, with a dual function: generating carbon-free energy and providing shelter for port activities by limiting wave transmission. In this work we investigate the hydrodynamics of this novel structure by means of an analytical model based on linear wave theory and matched eigenfunction expansion method. A local increase in the back-wall draft is adopted as an effective strategy to enhance wave power extraction and reduce wave transmission. The effects of chamber breadth, wall draft and air chamber volume on the hydrodynamic performance are examined in detail. We find that optimizing power take-off (PTO) damping for maximum power leads to both satisfactory power extraction and wave transmission, whereas optimizing for minimum wave transmission penalizes power extraction excessively; the former is, therefore, preferable. An appropriate large enough air chamber volume can enhance the bandwidth of high extraction efficiency through the air compressibility effect, with minimum repercussions for wave transmission. Meanwhile, the air chamber volume is found to be not large enough for the air compressibility effect to be relevant at engineering scales. Finally, a two-level practical optimization strategy on PTO damping is adopted. We prove that this strategy yields similar wave power extraction and wave transmission as the ideal optimization approach.     

An experimental investigation into the wave power extraction of a floating box-type breakwater with dual pneumatic chambers

The oscillating water column (OWC) device is in a leading position for wave power extraction but has not achieved fully commercial at the current stage. In addition to enhancing the OWC performance, installing OWCs on floating breakwaters, which owns the merits of both cost-sharing and offshore power supply, is a practicality with high economic viability. In this study, a series of wave-flume experiments were conducted in regular waves to examine the wave power extraction of a floating box-type breakwater with dual pneumatic chambers. The flow characteristics of the orifices used to simulate the PTOs was pre-calibrated through another series of experiments, so the power extraction in this study can be obtained with only the pressure measurement. The effects of wave period, chamber draft, water depth and arrangement of chambers on the power extraction were examined. Our experimental results showed that the power extraction was mainly due to the water column oscillation inside the chamber, and differentiation in the designed natural periods of dual chambers could widen the efficiency bandwidth of power extraction. The front chamber always played the main role in power extraction and its natural period should be designed against the dominating period of the wave spectrum; in contrast, the power extraction of the rear chamber was only a supplement and its natural period should be designed against longer waves which were more easily transmitted, thus a PTO of small power capacity maybe more realistic. It was also worth noting that the water column oscillation was more dependent on the wave period rather than controlled by the wave scattering under different water depths.     

半球形多向波聚合波道振荡水柱气室优化设计

为了解决振动水柱式波浪能转换装置收集多向波浪问题,本文设计了半球形多向聚合波道振荡水柱气室结构,以适合远海单点波浪能采集和发电。在规则波正向入射条件下,基于流体仿真分析软件(FLUENT)、流体动力学连续性假设和粘性不可压缩流体动量守恒的运动方程(Navier-Stokes方程)建立半球形振荡气室和三维数值波浪水槽模型。仿真结果表明:增设气室后壁,合理设计波道开口角度实现多向迎波捕获波浪能,优化前壁形状可降低波浪触底反射带来的能量耗散,同时提高了气室内空气压强和出气口速度,有效提升波浪能俘获效率,为后续发电的二次能量转换提供高效的空气动力。     

Experimental hydrodynamic investigation of a fixed offshore Oscillating Water Column device

Oscillating Water Column (OWC) is one of the pioneer devices in harnessing wave energy; however, it is not fully commercialized perhaps due to the complicated hydrodynamic behavior. Previous studies are significantly devoted to OWC devices located in nearshore and coastal regions where incident wave energy would experience dissipation more than offshore. In this paper, a 1:15 scaled fixed offshore OWC model is tested in a large towing tank of National Iranian Marine Laboratory. Wave spectrum shape effect on the efficiency of the OWC model is addressed. Moreover, the paper investigates the effects of the geometric and hydrodynamic factors on OWC device efficiency and uncovers new points in nonlinear interaction occurring inside the chamber; i.e. sloshing. The results indicate that shape of the spectrum inside the chamber is affected by the type of incident wave spectrum, especially for long waves. Pierson–Moskowitz spectrum leaded to higher efficiency rather than JONSWAP spectrum at longer incident wave periods. According to efficiency analysis, increasing wave height may lead to air leakage from the chamber followed by vortex generation, which is a reason for decreasing the efficiency of the OWC device. Furthermore, no shift in the resonant period of the OWC model, due to wave height increase, was observed at the opening ratios equal or smaller than 1.28%. Spectral analysis of water fluctuation inside the OWC chamber illustrates two modes of sloshing. The first mode can be seen at short period waves while the second mode is visible at long period waves. The sloshing modes approximately vanish by increasing draft value.     

OWC装置空气透平压降作用试验研究

空气透平的压降作用及由其带来的空气流速变化,是串联2次能量转换过程、实现两转换过程耦合的核心要素.试验主要是在物理模型的基础上,对带有冲击式透平的OWC装置能量转换影响因素进行研究.试验主要考察2次能量转换耦合作用下,气室内自由水面变换、气室内压强变化、输气管内空气流速变换及三者耦合与相互作用.     

Wave power extraction from an oscillating water column along a straight coast

In order to study the effects of coastline on wave power absorption, we describe here a linearized theory of an oscillating water column (OWC) installed on a straight coast. The sea depth is assumed to be constant and the coast is a vertical cliff. The column is a vertical circular cylinder half embedded in the cliff and open on the seaside. Forced by incident waves from any direction, the water surface inside pushes the dry air above through a Wells turbine system to generate power. Carrying out the linearized theories of radiation and diffraction analytically, we calculate the coefficients of apparent mass and radiation damping, and the chamber pressure. Optimum absorption efficiency is examined under the constraint of constant chamber volume. Results are compared with a parallel study of an OWC installed either offshore or at the tip of a thin breakwater.     

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.     

Experimental and theoretical study of a cylindrical oscillating water column device with a quadratic power take-off model

The wave power extraction by a cylindrical oscillating water column (OWC) device with a quadratic power take-off (PTO) model was studied experimentally and theoretically. In the experiment, a scaled model OWC was tested in a wave flume, with an orifice being used to simulate a quadratic PTO mechanism. In the theoretical analysis, the quadratic PTO model was linearized based on Lorenz's principle of equivalent work, which allows us to perform a frequency domain analysis using an eigen-function matching method. The effects of higher harmonic components and the spatial non-uniformity of the surface velocity inside the chamber were discussed. A semi-analytical model was proposed to understand the viscous loss affecting the measured capture length. Our treatment of the quadratic PTO model was validated by comparing quasi-linear theoretical capture length and the laboratory measurement. Our results also showed that the effects of spatial non-uniformity and viscous loss could be noticeable for shorter waves.     

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.