scholarly journals NUMERICAL MODELLING AND POWER TAKE OFF CHARACTERIZATION OF A WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER WITH BOUNDARY ELEMENT METHOD

2017 ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Lopez ◽  
Francisco Taveira-Pinto ◽  
Paulo Rosa-Santos
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Element Method ◽  
Numerical Modelling ◽  
Boundary Element ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
The Time Domain ◽  
The University ◽  
Element Method

This paper deals with the numerical modelling of an innovative technology for harnessing wave energy and its power take-off system. The investigated wave energy converter is CECO, a device based on the principles of oscillating bodies that is being developed at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Portugal. The particularity of this concept lies on the relative motion between a floating part and a supporting one, which is restricted to translations along an inclined direction. First, the wave energy converter is modelled in the frequency domain by means of a panel model that is based on the boundary element method. Once obtained the frequency-dependent hydrodynamic coefficients of the floating part, the dynamic equation of motion is solved in the time domain by including, not only the hydrodynamic forces, but also the force of the power take-off system. The results prove the ability of the numerical modelling approach to simulate the behavior of the device and provide insight into its performance.

scholarly journals An Advance-Tracing Boundary Element Method in the Time Domain for Solving the Radiating Problem of an Arbitrary Obstacle Accelerating Randomly

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Jui-Hsiang Kao
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Element Method ◽  
Boundary Element ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Boundary Integral ◽  
Normal Velocity ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Random Acceleration ◽  
The Time Domain ◽  
First Time ◽  
Element Method

This research develops an Advance-Tracing Boundary Element Method in the time domain to calculate the waves that radiate from an immersed obstacle moving with random acceleration. The moving velocity of the immersed obstacle is multifrequency and is projected along the normal direction of every element on the obstacle. The projected normal velocity of every element is presented by the Fourier series and includes the advance-tracing time, which is equal to a quarter period of the moving velocity. The moving velocity is treated as a known boundary condition. The computing scheme is based on the boundary integral equation in the time domain, and the approach process is carried forward in a loop from the first time step to the last. At each time step, the radiated pressure on each element is updated until obtaining a convergent result. The Advance-Tracing Boundary Element Method is suitable for calculating the radiating problem from an arbitrary obstacle moving with random acceleration in the time domain and can be widely applied to the shape design of an immersed obstacle in order to attain security and confidentiality.

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.

Development of a Model Predictive Controller for the Wave Energy Converter Control Competition

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley A. Ling
Keyword(s):  
Prediction Model ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Linear Prediction ◽  
State Space Model ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Point Absorber ◽  
Predictive Controller ◽  
Excitation Force ◽  
The University

Abstract The University of Maynooth is hosting a competition to develop a control strategy for a heaving point absorber wave energy converter (WEC). A linear model predictive control (MPC) design for the competition is presented. The state space model used in the MPC was derived numerically from the provided WEC-Sim model using linear system identification methods. A Kalman filter was used as the estimator, while also serving as an unknown input estimator to provide estimates of the excitation force on the WEC. The required excitation force predictions were made using an autoregressive linear prediction model. The inputs to the prediction model included estimated wave excitation forces and measured water surface elevation values from an up-field wave probe. Simulation results of the final control system design are also presented for each of the six wave cases specified by the competition organizers.

Latching Control of an OWC Spar-Buoy Wave Energy Converter in Regular Waves

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. C. Henriques ◽  
A. F. O. Falcão ◽  
R. P. F. Gomes ◽  
L. M. C. Gato
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Phase Control ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Irregular Waves ◽  
Wave Direction ◽  
Regular Waves ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Chamber Volume ◽  
The Time Domain

The present paper concerns an OWC spar-buoy, possibly the simplest concept for a floating oscillating-water-column (OWC) wave energy converter. It is an axisymmetric device (and so insensitive to wave direction) consisting basically of a (relatively long) submerged vertical tail tube open at both ends, fixed to a floater that moves essentially in heave. The length of the tube determines the resonance frequency of the inner water column. The oscillating motion of the internal free surface relative to the buoy, produced by the incident waves, makes the air flow through a turbine that drives an electrical generator. It is well known that the frequency response of point absorbers like the spar buoy is relatively narrow, which implies that their performance in irregular waves is relatively poor. Phase control has been proposed to improve this situation. The present paper presents a theoretical investigation of phase control by latching of an OWC spar-buoy in which the compressibility of air in the chamber plays an important role (the latching is performed by fast closing and opening an air valve in series with the turbine). In particular such compressibility may remove the constraint of latching threshold having to coincide with an instant of zero relative velocity between the two bodies (in the case under consideration, between the floater and the OWC). The modelling is performed in the time domain for a given device geometry, and includes the numerical optimization of the air turbine rotational speed, chamber volume and latching parameters. Results are obtained for regular waves.

scholarly journals Effect of Dissipation on the Moonpool-Javelin Wave Energy Converter

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1444
Author(s):  
Dan Yu ◽  
Keyi Wang ◽  
Yeqing Jin ◽  
Fankai Kong ◽  
Hailong Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Potential Flow ◽  
Wave Force ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Hydrodynamic Performance ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Viscous Term ◽  
Cfd Method ◽  
The Time Domain

In this work, the hydrodynamic performance of a novel wave energy converter (WEC) configuration which combines a moonpool platform and a javelin floating buoy, called the moonpool–javelin wave energy converter (MJWEC), was studied by semianalytical, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and experimental methods. The viscous term is added to the potential flow solver to obtain the hydrodynamic coefficients. The wave force, the added mass, the radiation damping, the wave capture, and the energy efficiency of the configuration were assessed, in the frequency and time domains, by a semianalytical method. The CFD method results and the semianalytical results were compared for the time domain by introducing nonlinear power take-off (PTO) damping; additionally, the viscous dissipation coefficients under potential flow could be confirmed. Finally, a 1:10 scale model was physically tested to validate the numerical model and further prove the feasibility of the proposed system.

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