Performance Assessment of a Hybrid Wave Energy Converter Integrated into a Harbor Breakwater

Abstract

Seaports are highly energy demanding infrastructures and are exposed to wave energy, which is an abundant resource and largely unexploited. As a result, there has been a rising interest in integrating wave energy converters (WEC) into the breakwaters of seaports. The present work analyzes the performance of an innovative hybrid WEC module combining an oscillating water column (OWC) and an overtopping device (OWEC) integrated into a rubble mound breakwater, based on results of a physical model study carried out at a geometrical scale of 1:50. Before the experimental tests, the device’s performance was numerically optimized using ANSYS Fluent and WOPSim v3.11. The wave power captured by the hybrid WEC was calculated and the performance of the two harvesting principles discussed. It was demonstrated that hybridization could lead to systems with higher efficiencies than its individual components, for a broader range of wave conditions. The chosen concepts were found to complement each other: the OWEC was more efficient for the lower wave periods tested and the OWC for the higher. Consequently, the power production of the hybrid WEC was found to be less dependent on the wave’s characteristics.

Hydrodynamic Efficiency of a Wave Energy Converter in Front of an Orthogonal Breakwater

“…The kinematic boundary condition on the mean converter's wetted surface: (10) and the boundary condition at infinity.…”

“…A number of studies have been presented in the literature dealing with WECs integrated into floating or bottom mounted breakwaters. Most recent indicative examples are those of [7][8][9][10] studying integrated WECs into bottom mounted breakwaters, whereas floating integrated WEC-breakwater systems were recently studied in [11][12][13][14]. In addition, floating WEC-breakwaters consisting of rectangular caissons and multiple pontoons have been investigated in [15][16][17].…”

Design Selection and Geometry in OWC Wave Energy Converters for Performance

“…There exist also L-shaped OWC geometries in which a duct oriented in the direction of wave propagation is used to increase the resonant frequency of the system [10,11]. This concept was also used in the OWC module of the hybrid wave energy converter proposed in [12] that merges an OWC and an overtopping device. When the OWC is designed to be isolated, the cylindrical shape is one of the most common alternatives given that this solution is not affected by wave direction [13].…”

Self-Adaptive Global-Best Harmony Search Algorithm-Based Airflow Control of a Wells-Turbine-Based Oscillating-Water Column

“…Many ideas were investigated in order to conquer some of the obstacles, such as WEC integration in ongoing projects of maritime structure and breakwaters [13][14][15]. Other ideas proposed the multiple-use of offshore platforms by combining different energies such as the wind and wave energy converters in [16] or by combining different converters such as the Overtopping device and the Oscillating Water Column (OWC) in [17].…”