• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2011

A compact array system of small buoys is used for wave energy extraction. To evaluate the performance of this system, hydrodynamic analysis is carried out in regular waves using the higher order boundary element method. The motion response of each buoy is calculated considering hydrodynamic interactions caused by other buoys. The effect of energy extraction device is modeled as a linear damping load. The efficiencies of energy conversion are compared using the various sizes and arrangements of the array system and the damping coefficients for energy extraction. The increase in size or the packing ratio of the system gives better efficiency. However, the wave condition and the cost for the system should be considered to optimize performance from the perspective of engineering and economics. The proposed nondimensionalized damping coefficient for energy extraction is 0.1~0.5.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.474-483
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• 2014

The majority of existing WECs (wave energy converters) are designed to achieve maximum power at a resonance condition. In the case of a single WEC, its size must be large enough for tuning, and it has high efficiency only within a limited frequency band. Recently, wave power extraction by deploying many small buoys in a compact array has been studied under the assumption that the buoy's size and separation distance are much smaller than the water depth, wave length, and size of the array. A boundary value problem involving the macro-scale boundary condition on the mean surface covered by an infinite strip of buoys is solved using the eigenfunction expansion method. The energy extraction efficiency (${\varepsilon}=1-R^2_f-T^2_r$), where $R_f$ and $T_r$ are the reflection and transmission coefficients for a strip array of buoys, is assessed for various combinations of packing ratio, strip width, and PTO damping coefficient.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2014

The wave power, extracted from a circular array of small power buoys, is investigated under the potential theory. It is assumed that the buoy's radius, the draft, and the separation distance are much smaller than the water depth, the wave length, and the radius of a circular deployment area. The boundary value problem involving the macro-scale boundary condition on the mean surface covered by buoys is solved using the eigenfunction expansion method. The capture width, which is defined as the ratio of the extracted power to the wave power per unit length of the incident wave crest, is assessed for various combinations of packing ratio, radius of a circular array, and PTO damping coefficient. It is found that the circular array deployment is more effective in the viewpoint of efficiency than the single large buoy of the same total displaced volume.