Thesis Overview: Oscillating wave surge converters – Large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potential

The Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) is one of the most relevant systems for harnessing energy from ocean waves, generating energy by capturing the horizontal component of wave motion. This technology, which is on a pre-commercial development scale, presents one of the greatest potentials fo...

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Main Authors: Guilherme Fuhrmeister Vargas, Alexandre Beluco
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) 2023-05-01
Series:The Journal of Engineering and Exact Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://periodicos.ufv.br/jcec/article/view/15780
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author Guilherme Fuhrmeister Vargas
Alexandre Beluco
author_facet Guilherme Fuhrmeister Vargas
Alexandre Beluco
author_sort Guilherme Fuhrmeister Vargas
collection DOAJ
description The Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) is one of the most relevant systems for harnessing energy from ocean waves, generating energy by capturing the horizontal component of wave motion. This technology, which is on a pre-commercial development scale, presents one of the greatest potentials for electricity generation, due to its operating principle and the great improvement in design experienced over the last few years. Today, Computational numerical modelling is one of the main tools for the study and design of this and several other power generation systems from sea waves. In this context, a detailed study of a wave farm composed of several OWSCs is necessary, which represents a case closer to reality, since most renewable systems include several modules of the same converter. Considering the complexity of the existing hydrodynamics in these cases, a numerical modeling methodology based on the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methodology is applied to correctly represent the oscillation of the structure and the observed flow fields. In order to achieve the objectives, the OpenFOAM v.4.1 computational code and the OlaFlow extension are used, together with the Wall Adapting Local Eddy Viscosity (WALE) LES model, which allows a representation of the system very close to real application cases. The proposed model demonstrated a good adherence of the results when compared to experimental studies present in the literature. Likewise, it was observed that changes in wave height and period, bottom slope, wave reflection, spacing between converters, and the wave farm layout can cause important variations in the energy generated by the system, increasing or reducing considerably its efficiency, emphasizing the importance of these parameters in the design and development of this technology.
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spelling doaj-art-ff77a6e67ca847e3972d72dd16b65ae02025-02-02T19:55:14ZengUniversidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)The Journal of Engineering and Exact Sciences2527-10752023-05-019310.18540/jcecvl9iss3pp15780-01tThesis Overview: Oscillating wave surge converters – Large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potentialGuilherme Fuhrmeister Vargas0Alexandre Beluco1Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) – Institute of Hydraulic Research (IPH), BrazilFederal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) – Institute of Hydraulic Research (IPH), Brazil The Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) is one of the most relevant systems for harnessing energy from ocean waves, generating energy by capturing the horizontal component of wave motion. This technology, which is on a pre-commercial development scale, presents one of the greatest potentials for electricity generation, due to its operating principle and the great improvement in design experienced over the last few years. Today, Computational numerical modelling is one of the main tools for the study and design of this and several other power generation systems from sea waves. In this context, a detailed study of a wave farm composed of several OWSCs is necessary, which represents a case closer to reality, since most renewable systems include several modules of the same converter. Considering the complexity of the existing hydrodynamics in these cases, a numerical modeling methodology based on the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methodology is applied to correctly represent the oscillation of the structure and the observed flow fields. In order to achieve the objectives, the OpenFOAM v.4.1 computational code and the OlaFlow extension are used, together with the Wall Adapting Local Eddy Viscosity (WALE) LES model, which allows a representation of the system very close to real application cases. The proposed model demonstrated a good adherence of the results when compared to experimental studies present in the literature. Likewise, it was observed that changes in wave height and period, bottom slope, wave reflection, spacing between converters, and the wave farm layout can cause important variations in the energy generated by the system, increasing or reducing considerably its efficiency, emphasizing the importance of these parameters in the design and development of this technology. https://periodicos.ufv.br/jcec/article/view/15780Ocean renewable energyOcean wave energyOscillating Wave Surge ConverterWave farmsOpenFOAMComputational Fluid Dynamics
spellingShingle Guilherme Fuhrmeister Vargas
Alexandre Beluco
Thesis Overview: Oscillating wave surge converters – Large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potential
The Journal of Engineering and Exact Sciences
Ocean renewable energy
Ocean wave energy
Oscillating Wave Surge Converter
Wave farms
OpenFOAM
Computational Fluid Dynamics
title Thesis Overview: Oscillating wave surge converters – Large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potential
title_full Thesis Overview: Oscillating wave surge converters – Large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potential
title_fullStr Thesis Overview: Oscillating wave surge converters – Large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potential
title_full_unstemmed Thesis Overview: Oscillating wave surge converters – Large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potential
title_short Thesis Overview: Oscillating wave surge converters – Large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potential
title_sort thesis overview oscillating wave surge converters large eddy simulation modelling of wave farms hydrodynamics and its related energy potential
topic Ocean renewable energy
Ocean wave energy
Oscillating Wave Surge Converter
Wave farms
OpenFOAM
Computational Fluid Dynamics
url https://periodicos.ufv.br/jcec/article/view/15780
work_keys_str_mv AT guilhermefuhrmeistervargas thesisoverviewoscillatingwavesurgeconverterslargeeddysimulationmodellingofwavefarmshydrodynamicsanditsrelatedenergypotential
AT alexandrebeluco thesisoverviewoscillatingwavesurgeconverterslargeeddysimulationmodellingofwavefarmshydrodynamicsanditsrelatedenergypotential