Numerical analysis and wave tank validation on the optimal design of a two-body wave energy converter

Martin, Dillon; Li, Xiaofan; Chen, Chien-An; Thiagarajan, Krish; Ngo, Khai; Parker, Robert; Zuo, Lei

doi:10.1016/j.renene.2019.05.109

Title: Numerical analysis and wave tank validation on the optimal design of a two-body wave energy converter

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Abstract

To improve the performance of a ‘point absorber’ type wave energy converter (WEC), an additional submerged body can be deployed. The submerged body can be used to increase the equivalent excitation force on the WEC, as well as provide resonance tuning. This paper presents numerical analysis and experimental validation of a two-body point absorber type WEC using a mechanical motion rectifier (MMR) based power takeoff. The two-body point absorber consists of a floating buoy connected to a neutrally buoyant submerged body via the power-takeoff. The mechanical motion rectifier and a ball screw translate the relative heave motion of the two bodies into unidirectional rotation, which in turn spins a generator. Frequency domain analysis suggests there is an optimal submerged body mass for maximum WEC power absorption. Regular wave simulations in the time domain are compared to the results obtained in the frequency domain. While the time domain and frequency domain results predict the same optimal mass ratio, time domain analysis provides a more complex and accurate power result. To validate the time domain model, experimental wave tank testing is conducted using a 1:30 scale model WEC. The experiment shows the two-body WEC can produce twice the amount of power asmore »« less

Authors:

Martin, Dillon ^[1];

^[1]; Chen, Chien-An ^[1]; Thiagarajan, Krish ^[2]; Ngo, Khai ^[1];

^[1];

^[1]

Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)
Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)

Publication Date:: Tue May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2019

Research Org.:: Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Water Power Technologies Office; National Science Foundation (NSF); Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF)

OSTI Identifier:: 1659134

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1529007

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0007174

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Renewable Energy

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 145; Journal ID: ISSN 0960-1481

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER; Wave energy converter; Two-body point absorber; Time domain and frequency domain modelling; Wave tank test

Citation Formats


                    Martin, Dillon, Li, Xiaofan, Chen, Chien-An, Thiagarajan, Krish, Ngo, Khai, Parker, Robert, and Zuo, Lei. Numerical analysis and wave tank validation on the optimal design of a two-body wave energy converter.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.renene.2019.05.109.

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                    Martin, Dillon, Li, Xiaofan, Chen, Chien-An, Thiagarajan, Krish, Ngo, Khai, Parker, Robert, & Zuo, Lei. Numerical analysis and wave tank validation on the optimal design of a two-body wave energy converter.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.05.109

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                    Martin, Dillon, Li, Xiaofan, Chen, Chien-An, Thiagarajan, Krish, Ngo, Khai, Parker, Robert, and Zuo, Lei. Tue .  
"Numerical analysis and wave tank validation on the optimal design of a two-body wave energy converter".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.05.109.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1659134.

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@article{osti_1659134,

  title        = {Numerical analysis and wave tank validation on the optimal design of a two-body wave energy converter},

  author       = {Martin, Dillon and Li, Xiaofan and Chen, Chien-An and Thiagarajan, Krish and Ngo, Khai and Parker, Robert and Zuo, Lei},

  abstractNote = {To improve the performance of a ‘point absorber’ type wave energy converter (WEC), an additional submerged body can be deployed. The submerged body can be used to increase the equivalent excitation force on the WEC, as well as provide resonance tuning. This paper presents numerical analysis and experimental validation of a two-body point absorber type WEC using a mechanical motion rectifier (MMR) based power takeoff. The two-body point absorber consists of a floating buoy connected to a neutrally buoyant submerged body via the power-takeoff. The mechanical motion rectifier and a ball screw translate the relative heave motion of the two bodies into unidirectional rotation, which in turn spins a generator. Frequency domain analysis suggests there is an optimal submerged body mass for maximum WEC power absorption. Regular wave simulations in the time domain are compared to the results obtained in the frequency domain. While the time domain and frequency domain results predict the same optimal mass ratio, time domain analysis provides a more complex and accurate power result. To validate the time domain model, experimental wave tank testing is conducted using a 1:30 scale model WEC. The experiment shows the two-body WEC can produce twice the amount of power as the single-body WEC with same floating buoy and can be further increased by PTO design and power electronics optimization. Furthermore, wave tank testing shows the two-body WEC has a capture width ratio up to 58% at 59 kW/m and 51% at 36 kW/m.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.renene.2019.05.109},

  journal      = {Renewable Energy},

  number       = ,

  volume       = 145,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2019},

  month        = {Tue May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2019}

}

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