Wave loads on the foundation of a bottom-hinged modular flap structure

Laurie Wilkinson; Kenneth Doherty; Alan Henry; Viviana Russo; Sandy Day; Trevor Whittaker

Wave loads on the foundation of a bottom-hinged modular flap structure

Laurie Wilkinson, Kenneth Doherty, Alan Henry, Viviana Russo, Sandy Day, Trevor Whittaker

Queen's University Belfast

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

Abstract

Large loads result in expensive foundations which are a substantial proportion of the capital cost of flap-type Wave Energy Converters (WECs). Devices such as Oyster 800, currently deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), comprise a single flap for the full width of the machine. Splitting a flap-type device into smaller vertical flap modules, to make a ‘modular-flap’, might reduce the total foundation loads, whilst still providing acceptable performance in terms of energy conversion.
This paper investigates the foundation loads of an undamped modular-flap device, comparing them to those for a rigid flap of an equivalent width. Physical modelling in a wave tank is used, with loads recorded using a six degree of freedom (DoF) load cell. Both fatigue and extreme loading analysis was conducted. The rotations of the flaps were also recorded, using a motion-tracking system.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - Sep 2014
Event	International Conference on Offshore Renewable Energy - Glasgow, United Kingdom Duration: 15 Sep 2014 → 17 Sep 2014

Conference

Conference	International Conference on Offshore Renewable Energy
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Glasgow
Period	15/09/2014 → 17/09/2014

Keywords

oscillating wave surge converter
Wave Energy Converter
wave tank
modular flap
Oyster

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Cite this

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title = "Wave loads on the foundation of a bottom-hinged modular flap structure",

abstract = "Large loads result in expensive foundations which are a substantial proportion of the capital cost of flap-type Wave Energy Converters (WECs). Devices such as Oyster 800, currently deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), comprise a single flap for the full width of the machine. Splitting a flap-type device into smaller vertical flap modules, to make a {\textquoteleft}modular-flap{\textquoteright}, might reduce the total foundation loads, whilst still providing acceptable performance in terms of energy conversion.This paper investigates the foundation loads of an undamped modular-flap device, comparing them to those for a rigid flap of an equivalent width. Physical modelling in a wave tank is used, with loads recorded using a six degree of freedom (DoF) load cell. Both fatigue and extreme loading analysis was conducted. The rotations of the flaps were also recorded, using a motion-tracking system.",

keywords = "oscillating wave surge converter, Wave Energy Converter, wave tank, modular flap, Oyster",

author = "Laurie Wilkinson and Kenneth Doherty and Alan Henry and Viviana Russo and Sandy Day and Trevor Whittaker",

year = "2014",

month = sep,

language = "English",

note = "International Conference on Offshore Renewable Energy ; Conference date: 15-09-2014 Through 17-09-2014",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - Wave loads on the foundation of a bottom-hinged modular flap structure

AU - Wilkinson, Laurie

AU - Doherty, Kenneth

AU - Henry, Alan

AU - Russo, Viviana

AU - Day, Sandy

AU - Whittaker, Trevor

PY - 2014/9

Y1 - 2014/9

N2 - Large loads result in expensive foundations which are a substantial proportion of the capital cost of flap-type Wave Energy Converters (WECs). Devices such as Oyster 800, currently deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), comprise a single flap for the full width of the machine. Splitting a flap-type device into smaller vertical flap modules, to make a ‘modular-flap’, might reduce the total foundation loads, whilst still providing acceptable performance in terms of energy conversion.This paper investigates the foundation loads of an undamped modular-flap device, comparing them to those for a rigid flap of an equivalent width. Physical modelling in a wave tank is used, with loads recorded using a six degree of freedom (DoF) load cell. Both fatigue and extreme loading analysis was conducted. The rotations of the flaps were also recorded, using a motion-tracking system.

AB - Large loads result in expensive foundations which are a substantial proportion of the capital cost of flap-type Wave Energy Converters (WECs). Devices such as Oyster 800, currently deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), comprise a single flap for the full width of the machine. Splitting a flap-type device into smaller vertical flap modules, to make a ‘modular-flap’, might reduce the total foundation loads, whilst still providing acceptable performance in terms of energy conversion.This paper investigates the foundation loads of an undamped modular-flap device, comparing them to those for a rigid flap of an equivalent width. Physical modelling in a wave tank is used, with loads recorded using a six degree of freedom (DoF) load cell. Both fatigue and extreme loading analysis was conducted. The rotations of the flaps were also recorded, using a motion-tracking system.

KW - oscillating wave surge converter

KW - Wave Energy Converter

KW - wave tank

KW - modular flap

KW - Oyster

M3 - Paper

T2 - International Conference on Offshore Renewable Energy

Y2 - 15 September 2014 through 17 September 2014

ER -

Wave loads on the foundation of a bottom-hinged modular flap structure

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

UN SDGs

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