• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.314-328
• /
• 2019

This paper attempts to combine the pneumatic breakwater and submerged breakwater to increase the effectiveness of wave damping for long-period waves. A series of physical experiments concerning pneumatic breakwater, submerged breakwater and their joint breakwater was conducted and used to validate a mathematical model based on Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, the RNG $k-{\varepsilon}$ turbulence model and the VOF method. In addition, the mathematical model was used to investigate the wave transmission coefficients of three breakwaters. The nonlinear wave propagation behaviors and the energy transfer from lower frequencies to higher frequencies after the submerged breakwater were investigated in detail. Furthermore, an optimal arrangement between pneumatic breakwater and submerged breakwater was obtained for damping longer-period waves that cannot be damped effectively by the pneumatic breakwater alone. In addition, the reason for the appearance of the combination effect is that part of the energy of the transmitted waves over the submerged breakwater transfers to shorter-period waves. Finally, the impact of the joint breakwater on the wave field during wave propagation process was investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
• /
• 2004.05a
• /
• pp.257-262
• /
• 2004

A series of preliminary model tests are performed to find out the wave attenuating effect of the pneumatic breakwater of environment friendly type, which is a bubble screen generated by releasing compressed air from a submerged multiple parallel manifold Rising bubbles induce vertical current, which produces horizontal currents flowing away from the bubble-screen area in both directions. Near bottom, the corresponding currents flow toward the bubble screen, thus completing the circulation pattern. The surface current moving against the direction of wave propagation causes some attenuation of the waves. It becomes more effective as the relative depth (d/ L) increases (short-period waves in deep water). With the same air-discharge, the multiple parallel manifold can be more effective for the attenuation of longer waves through optimum arrangement of manifold number. installation depth, manifold gap, etc. The pneumatic breakwater will give a wide utilization as a device for protecting harbor facilities and as a simple, mobile breakwater.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.305-314
• /
• 2017

Ocean wave energy harvesting is still too expensive despite developing a variety of wave energy converter (WEC) devices. For the cost-effective wave energy harvesting, it can be an effective measure to use existing breakwaters or newly installed breakwaters for both wave control and energy harvesting purposes. In this study, we investigated the functionality of both breakwater and wave-power generator for the oscillating water column (OWC)-type wave energy converter (WEC) installed in a pneumatic floating breakwater, which was originally developed as a floating breakwater. In order to verify the performance of the breakwater as a WEC, the air flow velocity from air-chamber to WEC has to be evaluated properly. Therefore, air flow velocity, wave transformation and motion of floating structure was numerically implemented based on BEM from linear velocity potential theory without considering the compressibility of air within the chamber. Air pressure, meanwhile, was assumed to be fluctuated by the motions of structure and the water level change within air-chamber. The validity of the obtained values can be determined by comparing the previous results from the numerical analysis for different shapes. Based on numerical model results, wave transformation characteristics around OWC system mounted on the fixed and floating breakwaters, and motions of the structure with air flow velocities are investigated. In summary, all numerical results are almost identical to the previous research considering air compressibility. Therefore, it can be concluded that this analysis not considering air compressibility in the air chamber is more efficient and practical method.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.296-304
• /
• 2021

Research on the development of marine renewable energy is actively in progress. Various studies are being conducted on the development of wave energy converters. In this study, a numerical analysis of wave-energy extraction performance was performed according to the body shape and scale of the sloped oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter (WEC), which can be connected with the breakwater. The sloped OWC WEC was modeled in the time domain using a two-dimensional fully nonlinear numerical wave tank. The nonlinear free surface condition in the chamber was derived to represent the pneumatic pressure owing to the wave column motion and viscous energy loss at the chamber entrance. The free surface elevations in the sloped chamber were calculated at various incident wave periods. For verification, the results were compared with the 1:20 scaled model test. The maximum wave energy extraction was estimated with a pneumatic damping coefficient. To calculate the energy extraction of the actual size WEC, OWC models approximately 20 times larger than the scale model were calculated, and the viscous damping coefficient according to each size was predicted and applied. It was verified that the energy, owing to the airflow in the chamber, increased as the incident wave period increased, and the maximum efficiency of energy extraction was approximately 40% of the incident wave energy. Under the given incident wave conditions, the maximum extractable wave power at a chamber length of 5 m and a skirt draft of 2 m was approximately 4.59 kW/m.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
• /
• 2019.11a
• /
• pp.150-152
• /
• 2019

In this study, the effects of the wave field changes due to the coastal structure on the hydrodynamic performance of the OWC wave energy, converter are analyzed using a three-dimensional numerical wave tank technique (NWT). The OWC device is simulated numerically by introducing a linear pressure drop model, considering the coupling effect between the turbine and the OWC chamber in the time domain. The flow distribution around the chamber is different due to the change of reflection characteristics depending on the consideration of the breakwater model. The wave energy captured from the breakwater is spatially distributed on the plane of the front of the breakwater, and the converted pneumatic power increased when concentrated in front of the chamber. The change of the standing wave distribution is repeated according to the relationship between the incident wavelength and the length of the breakwater, and the difference in energy conversion performance of the OWC was confirmed.