• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2017

As a new technical approach, wave energy converter by using vertical motion of water in the multiple water chambers were developed to realize actual wave power generation as eco-environmental renewable energy. And practical use of wave energy converter was actually to require the following conditions: (1) setting up of the relevant device and its application to wave power generation in case that severe wave loading is avoided; (2) workability in installation and maintenance operations; (3) high energy conversion potential; and (4) low cost. In this system, neither the wall(s) of the chambers nor the energy conversion device(s) are exposed to the impulsive load due to water wave. Also since this system is profitable when set along the jetty or along a long floating body, installation and maintenance are done without difficulty and the cost is reduced. In this paper, we describe the system which consists of a float, a shaft connected with another shaft, a rack and pinion arrangement, a ratchet mechanism, and rotary type generator(s). Then, we present the dynamics model for evaluating the output electric power, and the results of numerical calculation including the effect of the phase shift of up/down motion of the water in the array of water chambers aligned along the direction of wave propagation.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.41-47
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• 2014

Experimental results are given for the vertical motion of water in the water chambers for wave energy converter aligned along the wave propagation direction in order to avoid the impulsive wave forces. This paper mainly focuses on the property of the amplitude of the vertical motion of the water surface in the chambers. The amplification has been investigated by dimensionless parameters of wave period to resonance period ratio of the U-shaped oscillation, $T/T_r$, chamber size to wave length ratio, l/L, water depth to wave length ratio, h/L, amplitude of up-down motion of water particles to draft of the front wall ratio, ${\zeta}/D$. It has been shown that l/L should be less than 0.1 and as $T/T_r$ approaches unity the up-down of the water in the chambers is amplified. Also, the structure of the walls which form th water chambers has been examined roughly. It is deduced that the chambers set on both sides of the hull of a single-point moored floating vessel is preferable to those set along a fixed structure such as breakwaters.