scholarly journals Analyzing the Near-Field Effects and the Power Production of an Array of Heaving Cylindrical WECs and OSWECs Using a Coupled Hydrodynamic-PTO Model

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Balitsky ◽  
Nicolas Quartier ◽  
Gael Verao Fernandez ◽  
Vasiliki Stratigaki ◽  
Peter Troch
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Model ◽  
Wave Field ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Power Production ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Floating Body ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Field Effects

The Power Take-Off (PTO) system is the key component of a Wave Energy Converter (WEC) that distinguishes it from a simple floating body because the uptake of the energy by the PTO system modifies the wave field surrounding the WEC. Consequently, the choice of a proper PTO model of a WEC is a key factor in the accuracy of a numerical model that serves to validate the economic impact of a wave energy project. Simultaneously, the given numerical model needs to simulate many WEC units operating in close proximity in a WEC farm, as such conglomerations are seen by the wave energy industry as the path to economic viability. A balance must therefore be struck between an accurate PTO model and the numerical cost of running it for various WEC farm configurations to test the viability of any given WEC farm project. Because hydrodynamic interaction between the WECs in a farm modifies the incoming wave field, both the power output of a WEC farm and the surface elevations in the ‘near field’ area will be affected. For certain types of WECs, namely heaving cylindrical WECs, the PTO system strongly modifies the motion of the WECs. Consequently, the choice of a PTO system affects both the power production and the surface elevations in the ‘near field’ of a WEC farm. In this paper, we investigate the effect of a PTO system for a small wave farm that we term ‘WEC array’ of 5 WECs of two types: a heaving cylindrical WEC and an Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter (OSWEC). These WECs are positioned in a staggered array configuration designed to extract the maximum power from the incident waves. The PTO system is modelled in WEC-Sim, a purpose-built WEC dynamics simulator. The PTO system is coupled to the open-source wave structure interaction solver NEMOH to calculate the average wave field η in the ‘near-field’. Using a WEC-specific novel PTO system model, the effect of a hydraulic PTO system on the WEC array power production and the near-field is compared to that of a linear PTO system. Results are given for a series of regular wave conditions for a single WEC and subsequently extended to a 5-WEC array. We demonstrate the quantitative and qualitative differences in the power and the ‘near-field’ effects between a 5-heaving cylindrical WEC array and a 5-OSWEC array. Furthermore, we show that modeling a hydraulic PTO system as a linear PTO system in the case of a heaving cylindrical WEC leads to considerable inaccuracies in the calculation of average absorbed power, but not in the near-field surface elevations. Yet, in the case of an OSWEC, a hydraulic PTO system cannot be reduced to a linear PTO coefficient without introducing substantial inaccuracies into both the array power output and the near-field effects. We discuss the implications of our results compared to previous research on WEC arrays which used simplified linear coefficients as a proxy for PTO systems.

The Use of Numerical Modeling to Optimize a New Wave Energy Converter Technology

2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 151-163
Author(s):  
Brandon E. Green ◽  
Daniel G. MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Model ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Equations Of Motion ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Point Absorber ◽  
Data Output ◽  
Optimization Routine

AbstractA numerical model of a new point-absorber wave energy converter (WEC) technology was designed for simulation purposes using Python. The governing equations were defined to take into account the relevant forces on the buoy in an ideal wave environment as well as any opposing forces due to damping, the power take-off (PTO) mechanism, and alternator. These equations of motion were solved using a high-order iterative process to study the linear kinematics of the buoy, the behavior of the PTO, and the associated power output in an ideal ocean wave environment. The model allows for the adjustment of relevant parameters to explore the behavior of the WEC and optimize system efficiency depending on the wave conditions. The numerical model was designed to run single simulations for a specified time interval; however, an optimization routine was implemented to optimize the mechanical parameters that greatly affect power output. The optimization portion of the model was implemented to study the response of the virtual WEC to a variety of input conditions pertaining to the buoy, PTO, and wave dynamics. This paper explains the development of the prototype WEC and the associated numerical model, in addition to evaluating the response of the WEC to a variety of input conditions. The output of the numerical model is discussed for the associated wave field used for simulation purposes. The design and implementation of the numerical model provides insight into changes in design components to maximize system power output and efficiency. The results of the numerical model and examples of data output for specific input conditions are investigated.

scholarly journals Validation of a CFD-based numerical wave tank model for the power production assessment of the wavestar ocean wave energy converter

2020 ◽  
Vol 146 ◽  
pp. 2499-2516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Windt ◽  
Josh Davidson ◽  
Edward J. Ransley ◽  
Deborah Greaves ◽  
Morten Jakobsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Power Production ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Ocean Wave ◽  
Numerical Wave Tank ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Tank Model ◽  
Wave Tank ◽  
Ocean Wave Energy ◽  
Numerical Wave

scholarly journals Numerical and Experimental Investigation on a Moonpool-Buoy Wave Energy Converter

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hengxu Liu ◽  
Feng Yan ◽  
Fengmei Jing ◽  
Jingtao Ao ◽  
Zhaoliang Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Model ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Point Absorber ◽  
Motion Responses ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
The Time Domain ◽  
Good Agreement

This paper introduces a new point-absorber wave energy converter (WEC) with a moonpool buoy—the moonpool platform wave energy converter (MPWEC). The MPWEC structure includes a cylinder buoy and a moonpool buoy and a Power Take-off (PTO) system, where the relative movement between the cylindrical buoy and the moonpool buoy is exploited by the PTO system to generate energy. A 1:10 scale model was physically tested to validate the numerical model and further prove the feasibility of the proposed system. The motion responses of and the power absorbed by the MPWEC studied in the wave tank experiments were also numerically analyzed, with a potential approach in the frequency domain, and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code in the time domain. The good agreement between the experimental and the numerical results showed that the present numerical model is accurate enough, and therefore considering only the heave degree of freedom is acceptable to estimate the motion responses and power absorption. The study shows that the MPWEC optimum power extractions is realized over a range of wave frequencies between 1.7 and 2.5 rad/s.

Preliminary laboratorial determination of the REEFS novel wave energy converter power output

2018 ◽  
Vol 122 ◽  
pp. 654-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P.P.G. Lopes de Almeida ◽  
B. Mujtaba ◽  
A.M. Oliveira Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Energy Converter

Numerical Simulation and Optimization of a Wave Energy Converter for the Izu Islands Sea in Japan

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Kamio ◽  
Makoto Iida ◽  
Chuichi Arakawa
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Complex Conjugate ◽  
Maximum Output ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Simulation And Optimization ◽  
Izu Islands

The purpose of this study is the numerical simulation and control optimization of a wave energy converter to estimate the power at a test site in the Izu Islands. In Japan, ocean energy is once again being seriously considered; however, since there are many inherent problems due to severe conditions such as the strong swells and large waves, estimations are important when designing such devices. The numerical simulation method in this study combines the wave interaction analysis software WAMIT and an in-house time-domain simulation code using the Newmark-β method, and introduces approximate complex-conjugate control into the code. The optimized parameters were assessed for a regular sine wave and an irregular wave with a typical wave spectrum. With the optimized parameters, average and maximum output power were estimated for the observed wave data at the test site. The results show a more than 100 kW average power output and a several times larger maximum power output.

scholarly journals Irregular Wave Validation of a Coupling Methodology for Numerical Modelling of Near and Far Field Effects of Wave Energy Converter Arrays

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gael Fernández ◽  
Vasiliki Stratigaki ◽  
Peter Troch
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Wave Field ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Propagation Model ◽  
Irregular Waves ◽  
Far Field ◽  
Engineering Research ◽  
Field Effects

Between the Wave Energy Converters (WECs) of a farm, hydrodynamic interactions occur and have an impact on the surrounding wave field, both close to the WECs (“near field” effects) and at large distances from their location (“far field” effects). To simulate this “far field” impact in a fast and accurate way, a generic coupling methodology between hydrodynamic models has been developed by the Coastal Engineering Research Group of Ghent University in Belgium. This coupling methodology has been widely used for regular waves. However, it has not been developed yet for realistic irregular sea states. The objective of this paper is to present a validation of the novel coupling methodology for the test case of irregular waves, which is demonstrated here for coupling between the mild slope wave propagation model, MILDwave, and the ‘Boundary Element Method’-based wave–structure interaction solver, NEMOH. MILDwave is used to model WEC farm “far field” effects, while NEMOH is used to model “near field” effects. The results of the MILDwave-NEMOH coupled model are validated against numerical results from NEMOH, and against the WECwakes experimental data for a single WEC, and for WEC arrays of five and nine WECs. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) between disturbance coefficient (Kd) values in the entire numerical domain ( R M S E K d , D ) are used for evaluating the performed validation. The R M S E K d , D between results from the MILDwave-NEMOH coupled model and NEMOH is lower than 2.0% for the performed test cases, and between the MILDwave-NEMOH coupled model and the WECwakes experimental data R M S E K d , D remains below 10%. Consequently, the efficiency is demonstrated of the coupling methodology validated here which is used to simulate WEC farm impact on the wave field under the action of irregular waves.

Array Characteristics of Oscillating-Buoy Two-Floating-Body Wave-Energy Converter

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-333
Author(s):  
Renwei Ji ◽  
Qihu Sheng ◽  
Shuqi Wang ◽  
Yuquan Zhang ◽  
Xuewei Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Body Wave ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Floating Body ◽  
Energy Converter
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