Abstract
In recent years modern numerical methods have been employed in the
design of Wave Energy Converters (WECs), however the high computational
costs associated with their use makes it prohibitive to undertake
simulations involving statistically relevant numbers of wave cycles. Experimental
tests in wave tanks could also be performed more efficiently
and economically if short time traces, consisting of only a few wave cycles,
could be used to evaluate the hydrodynamic characteristics of a particular
device or design modification. Ideally, accurate estimations of
device performance could be made utilizing results obtained from investigations
with a relatively small number of wave cycles. However the
difficulty here is that many WECs, such as the Oscillating Wave Surge
Converter (OWSC), exhibit significant non-linearity in their response.
Thus it is challenging to make accurate predictions of annual energy yield
for a given spectral sea state using short duration realisations of that sea.
This is because the non-linear device response to particular phase couplings
of sinusoidal components within those time traces might influence
the estimate of mean power capture obtained. As a result it is generally
accepted that the most appropriate estimate of mean power capture for a
sea state be obtained over many hundreds (or thousands) of wave cycles.
This ensures that the potential influence of phase locking is negligible
in comparison to the predictions made. In this paper, potential methods
of providing reasonable estimates of relative variations in device performance
using short duration sea states are introduced. The aim of the
work is to establish the shortness of sea state required to provide statistically
significant estimations of the mean power capture of a particular
type of Wave Energy Converter. The results show that carefully selected
wave traces can be used to reliably assess variations in power output due
to changes in the hydrodynamic design or wave climate.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Proceedings of the 26th (2016) International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference |
| Publisher | International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE) |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-880653-88-3 |
| Publication status | Published - 26 Jun 2016 |
| Event | The 26th International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference - Rodos Palace Hotel, Rhodes, Greece Duration: 26 Jun 2016 → 02 Jul 2016 Conference number: 26 http://www.isope.org/conferences/2016 |
Conference
| Conference | The 26th International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ISOPE2016 |
| Country/Territory | Greece |
| City | Rhodes |
| Period | 26/06/2016 → 02/07/2016 |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- Sea State; Wave trace; Experimental tank testing; wave parameters; non-linear effects; statistics