Performance of an oscillating water column wave energy converter device under random ocean waves and ocean currents

Abstract

The present study investigates the hydrodynamic performance of an onshore oscillating water column (OWC) device placed over an undulated bottom topography by analyzing its hydrodynamic efficiency under the action of combined wave–current interaction. The classical small-amplitude water wave theory is used to model the physical problem. The constant boundary element method is employed to solve the boundary value problem. Significant attention is devoted to describing the hydrodynamic parameters associated with the OWC device by considering the mutual combination of the random waves and ocean currents in the wave propagation phenomena. To examine the complex dynamics of the combined irregular wave current phenomena, the Det Norske Veritas spectrum accompanied by a suitable sea state has been considered for the present study. Considering the existence of opposing and following currents in wave propagation, a comprehensive analysis is conducted on the interactions of regular and irregular water waves with the OWC device. The simulated results demonstrate that the presence of ocean currents in the wave propagation phenomenon strongly influences the resonating patterns of the efficiency and force curves. Additionally, the Doppler shift in the apparent frequency caused by the following currents in the random wave–current interaction significantly improves the device's efficiency for an appropriate structural design.