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This paper deals with the problem of designing an optimal U - Oscillating Water Column (U-OWC) device equipped with a Wells turbine. Specifically, the paper proposes the implementation of a genetic algorithm for designing a U-OWC exposed to the typical sea states available in the Mediterranean Sea. The first challenge encountered in this problem is the efficient calculation of the U-OWC hydrodynamic parameters. The second challenge relates to the fact that the U-OWC dynamics is governed by two coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations with no closed-form solution. For reducing the computational cost, the genetic algorithm is combined with a semi-analytical approach used for determining the U-OWC hydrodynamic parameters and with a statistical linearization based approximate solution of the equations governing the U-OWC dynamics. Such a procedure allows estimating efficiently, albeit approximately, the power output of the system. Numerical results compare a design based on a conventional “design sea state” vis-à-vis a design based on a “design wave climate”. For this purpose, the case study of the Roccella Jonica marina (Reggio Calabria, Italy) is considered, as relevant wave data are available to characterize the most energetic seas as well as depicting the global wave climate available at that location. The numerical results highlight the fact that an optimization conducted on the basis of a design sea state does not lead to an optimal design in a wave climate.

This paper describes the results of an experimental campaign conducted on a U-Oscillating Water Column (U-OWC) wave energy converter equipped with Dielectric Elastomer Generator (DEG) Power Take-Off (PTO) system. The considered PTO technology has the potential for overcoming some of the limitations associated with the use of traditional self-rectifying turbines. Experiments have been performed in the benign sea test site of the Natural Ocean Engineering Laboratory (NOEL), where the DEG/U-OWC was exposed to sea states with a significant wave height in the range of 0.15 m – 0.45 m and peak spectral periods in the range of 1.8 s – 3.3 s. The aim of this work is to analyze the dynamic response of the coupled DEG-PTO and U-OWC system. The analysis of the experimental data shows that the presence of the DEG determines a slight decrease in the natural period of the water column oscillations. Through the tests, we also demonstrate that a relief valve can be successfully used to actively tune the dynamic response of the system to ensure the safety of the DEG in severe sea-states.

Dielectric elastomer generators (DEGs) are soft electrostatic generators based on low-cost electroactive polymer materials. These devices have attracted the attention of the marine energy community as a promising solution to implement economically viable wave energy converters (WECs). This paper introduces a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation framework for a class of WECs that combines the concept of the oscillating water columns (OWCs) with the DEGs. The proposed HIL system replicates in a laboratory environment the realistic operating conditions of an OWC/DEG plant, while drastically reducing the experimental burden compared to wave tank or sea tests. The HIL simulator is driven by a closed-loop real-time hydrodynamic model that is based on a novel coupling criterion which allows rendering a realistic dynamic response for a diversity of scenarios, including large scale DEG plants, whose dimensions and topologies are largely different from those available in the HIL setup. A case study is also introduced, which simulates the application of DEGs on an OWC plant installed in a mild real sea laboratory test-site. Comparisons with available real sea-test data demonstrated the ability of the HIL setup to effectively replicate a realistic operating scenario. The insights gathered on the promising performance of the analysed OWC/DEG systems pave the way to pursue further sea trials in the future.

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