• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2022

In recent years, various studies have been conducted on oscillating-water-column-type wave energy converters (OWC-WECs) with multiple chambers with the objective of efficiently utilizing the limited space of offshore/onshore structures. In this study, a numerical investigation based on a numerical wave tank was conducted on single, dual, and triple OWC chambers to examine the hydrodynamic performances and the energy conversion characteristics of the multiple water columns. The boundary value problem with the Laplace equation was solved by using a numerical wave tank based on a finite element method. The validity of the current numerical method was confirmed by comparing it with the measured data in the previous experimental research. We undertook a series of numerical simulations and observed that the water column motion of sloshing mode in a single chamber can be changed into the piston motion of different phases in multiple OWC chambers. Therefore, the piston motion in the multiple chambers can generate considerable airflow at a specific resonant frequency. In addition, the division of the OWC chamber results in a reduction of the time-dependent variability of the final output power from the device. As a result, the application of the multiple chambers leads to an increase of the energy conversion performance as well as a decrease of the variability of the wave energy converter.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2010

The water elevation inside the air chamber and bi-directional air flow in the duct of Oscillating Water Column wave energy converter is one of the most important factors to evaluate the operating performance. The numerical wave tank based on the commercial software Fluent 6.2 in the present paper is employed to generate the incident waves. The numerical wave tank consists of the continuity equations, the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations and the two-phase VOF function. The oscillating amplitude of water column in the chamber and bi-directional air flow in the duct installed on the top of the chamber are calculated, and compared with experimental data to verify the validation of the present NWT. The nozzle effects of the chamber-duct system on the relative amplitudes of the inner free water surface and air flow rate in the duct are investigated.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.345-357
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• 2011

Recently, as part of diversifying energy sources and earth environmental issues, technology development of new renewable energy using wave energy is actively promoted and commercialized around Europe and Japan etc. In particular, OWC(Oscillating Water Column) wave power generation system using air flow induced by vertical movement of the water surface by waves in an air-chamber within caisson is known as the most efficient wave energy absorption device and therefore, is one of the wave power generation apparatus the closest to commercialization. This study examines air flow velocity, which operates turbine(Wells turbine) directly in oscillating water column type wave power generation structure from two-and three-dimensional numerical experiments and discusses optimal shape of oscillating water column type wave power generation structure by estimating the maximum flow rate of air according to change in shape. The three-dimensional numerical wave flume was applied in interpretation for this study which is the model for the immiscible two-phase flow based on the Navier-Stokes Equation. From this, it turned out that size of optimal shape appears differently according to the incident wave period and air flow is maximized at the period where minimum reflection ratio occurs.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2015.07a
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• pp.1054-1055
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• 2015

진동 수주형 파력발전 시스템(oscillating water column wave energy converter)의 효율을 증대할 수 있는 터빈의 최대 효율 추종 제어기를 제안한다. 진동 수주형 파력발전 시스템은 캡처 챔버(capture chamber)와 터빈, 발전기로 구성되어 있으며 발전기 말단에 연결된 저항의 값을 제어 입력으로 삼는다. 본 논문에서는 파력발전 시스템의 캡처 챔버와 터빈의 동역학 모델에 대해 소개하고, 터빈의 최대 효율 추종 제어기의 안정성을 증명하고 이를 JONSWAP 모델의 비규칙 파랑 조건하에서 시뮬레이션 하여 제어기 성능을 입증한다.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.89-106
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• 2017

The study explores a novel design of wave energy converter (WEC) that utilizes the interaction between an inside heaving vertical cylinder with an outside fixed hollow cylinder. This design originates from the oscillating water column (OWC) type WEC but replaces the pneumatic power take off (PTO) through the Wells turbine with the hydrodynamic PTO through the inside heaving cylinder. To effectively evaluate the maximum power output, the system has been modeled in the hydrodynamic software AQWA (developed by ANSYS Inc) that has accumulated extensive offshore industry users. Ranges of the PTO parameters have been examined to make sure that proper linear damping can be implemented to simulate the PTO force. Comparing the efficiency of the pneumatic PTO with the hydrodynamic PTO, it appears that the hydrodynamic PTO is more promising than the traditional Wells turbine for an OWC system.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.729-735
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• 2012

The primary wave energy conversion by a three-dimensional bottom-mounted oscillating water column (OWC) wave power device in regular waves has been studied. The linear potential boundary value problem has been solved following the boundary matching method. The optimum shape parameters such as the chamber length and the depth of the front skirt of the OWC chamber obtained through two-dimensional numerical tests in the frequency domain have been applied in the design of the present OWC chamber. Time-mean wave power converted by the OWC device and the time-mean second-order wave forces on the OWC chamber structure have been presented for different wave incidence angles in the frequency-domain. It has been shown that the peak period of $P_m$ for the optimum damping parameter coincides with the peak period of the time.mean wave drift force when ${\gamma}=0$.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.20 no.2 s.69
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• pp.22-28
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• 2006

The motion and wave drift forces of floating BBDB (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. A series of model tests has been conducted in order to order to verify the motion and time mean wave drift force reponses in regular waves at the ocean engineering basin, MOERI/KORDI. The pneumatic damping through an orifice-type duct for the BBDB wave energy device are deducted from experimental research. Numerical simulation for motion and drift force responses of the BBDB wave energy device, considering pneumatic damping coefficients, has been carried out, and the results are compared with those of model tests.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2010

The wave energy absorption efficiency and the first-order and the time-mean second-order wave loads of a three-dimensional bottom-mounted oscillating water column (OWC) chamber structure are studied. The potential problem is solved by making use of a hybrid Green integral equation associated with the finite-waterdepth free-surface Green function outside a twin chamber and the Rankine Green function inside taking account of the fluctuating air pressure inside the chamber. Numerical results of the primary wave energy converting efficiency and the oscillating and steady wave loads of a three-dimensional bottom-mounted OWC pilot plant have been presented.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.128-137
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• 2013

Due to the global warming and air pollution, interest in renewable energies has increased in recent years. In particular, the crisis of the depletion of fossil energy resources in the near future has accelerated the renewable energy technologies. Among the renewable energy resources, oceans covering almost three-fourths of earth's surface have an enormous amount of energy. For this reason, various approaches have been made to harness the tremendous energy potential. In order to achieve two purposes: to improve harbor water quality and to use wave energy, this study proposed a sea water exchange structure applying an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave generation system that utilizes the air flow velocity induced by the vertical motion of water column in the air chamber as a driving force of turbine. In particular, the airflow velocity in the air chamber was estimated from the time variations of water surface profile computed by using 3D-NIT model based on the 3-dimensional irregular numerical wave tank. The relationship of the frequency spectrums between the computed airflow velocities and the incident waves was analyzed. This study also discussed the characteristics of frequency spectrums in the air chamber according to the presence of the structure, wave deformations by the structure, and the power of the water and air flows were also investigated. It is found that the phase difference exists in the time series data of water level fluctuations and air flow in the air chamber and the air flow power is superior to the fluid flow power.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.589-597
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• 2015

Wave energy harvesting system using OWC(Oscillating Water Column) and MB (Movable Body) attached at the caisson breakwater was studied. This system was suggested to maximize wave energy extraction using resonant phenomena of oscillating water column and buoy in wave channel (Park et al., 2014). Not only incident waves but also reflected waves from the breakwater can be used as sources of exciting force for harvesting wave energy efficiently. Using Galerkin finite model based on the linear wave theory (Park, 1991), the performance of the system was evaluated for various damping ratios of power take off system. Numerical results show that the proposed system is excellent in efficiency compared with that of conventional system and the performance of the system is governed by the resonance of oscillating water column in the wave channel. In addition, the additional efforts to minimize viscous damping was found to be necessary because viscous damping occurring in the channel and around the moving buoy is significant in generation efficiency.