• 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.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.203-217
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• 2013

A PTO (power-take-off) mechanism by using relative heave motions between a floating buoy and its inner mass (magnet or amateur) is suggested. The inner power take-off system is characterized by a mass with linear stiffness and damping. A vertical truncated cylinder is selected as a buoy and a special station-keeping system is proposed to minimize pitch motions while not affecting heave motions. By numerical examples, it is seen that the maximum power can actually be obtained at the optimal spring and damper condition, as predicted by the developed WEC(wave energy converter) theory. Then, based on the developed theory, several design strategies are proposed to further enhance the maximum PTO, which includes the intentional mismatching among heave natural frequency of the buoy, natural frequency of the inner dynamic system, and peak frequency of input wave spectrum. By using the intentional mismatching strategy, the generated power is actually increased and the required damping value is significantly reduced, which is a big advantage in designing the proposed WEC with practical inner LEG (linear electric generator) system.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.668-676
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• 2017

A two-dimensional numerical investigation is performed to study the influence of slot width of multi-stage stationary floating overtopping wave energy devices on overtopping flow rate and performance. The hydraulic efficiency based on captured crest energy of different device layouts is compared with that of single-stage device to determine the effect of the geometrical design. The results show optimal trends giving a huge increase in overtopping energy. Plots of efficiency versus the relative slot width show that, for multi-stage devices, the greatest hydraulic efficiency is achieved at an intermediate value of the variable within the parametric range considered, relative slot width of 0.15 and 0.2 depending on design layouts. Moreover, an application of adaptive slot width of multi-stage device is investigated. The numerical results show that the overall hydraulic efficiency of non-adaptive and adaptive slot devices are approximately on par. The effect of adaptive slot width on performance can be negligible.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 2016

In this study, the present deployment of the multiple wave energy converters (WECs) in a floating wind-wave hybrid power generation platform was estimated considering the interaction effect among WEC buoys. The interaction processes of multiple buoys were very complex, since scattered and radiated waves from each buoy affected the others in the array. The interaction analysis of the diffraction and radiation problem by the array of WECs was applied by matched eigenfunction expansion method (MEEM). The analytical solutions were compared with the results of numerical calculation based on WAMIT. The overall performance of 24 WECs installed in the hybrid power generation platform was evaluated by the q-factor representing the interaction effect among buoys.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 2015

The wave spectrum was generated from wave data measured at the Chagwi-do site in Jeju, where a 10MW class floating wave-offshore wind hybrid power generation system will be installed. The latching control technology (Sheng et al.[2015]) was applied in order to improve the extracted power from WEC (Wave Energy Converter), which is heaving in corresponding irregular waves. The peak period as a representative value of irregular waves was used when we determined the latching duration. From the numerical results in the time-domain analysis, the latching control technology can significantly improve the extracted power about 50%.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.79-87
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• 2015

This paper proposes a floating-type wave energy conversion system that consists of a mechanical part (yo-yo vibrating system, motion rectifying system, and power transmission system) and electrical part (power generation system). The yo-yo vibrating system, which converts translational input to rotational motion, is modeled as a single degree-of-freedom system. It can amplify the wave input via the resonance phenomenon and enhance the energy conversion efficiency. The electromechanical model is established from impedance matching of the mechanical part to the electrical system. The performance was analyzed at various wave frequencies and damping ratios for a wave input acceleration of 0.14 g. The maximum output occurred at the resonance frequency and optimal load resistance, where the power conversion efficiency and electrical output power reached 48% and 290 W, respectively. Utilizing the resonance phenomenon was found to greatly enhance the performance of the wave energy converter, and there exists a maximum power point at the optimum load resistance.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.146-152
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• 2014

Design procedure of WEC (wave energy converter) using the heaving motion of a floating cylinder-type buoy coupled with LEG (linear electric generator) system is introduced. It is seen that the maximum power can actually be obtained at the optimal conditions ($c_{PTO}=b_T$, ${\omega}={\omega}_N$). Then, based on the developed theory, several design strategies are proposed to further enhance the maximum PTO (power take off), which includes the intentional mismatching with the heave natural frequency, which is 15% higher value than the peak frequency of input velocity spectrum. By using the intentional mismatching strategy, the generated power is actually increased and the corresponding draft as well as the required PTO damping value is significantly reduced, which is a big advantage in manufacturing the WEC with practical LEG (linear electric generator) system.

• Bulletin of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.27-36
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• 1983

This paper presents numerical results of the added mass and damping coefficients of vertical axisymmetric bodies on or under the free surface. Also computed are the excitation forces on these bodies due to an incident regular wave system. The numerical scheme employs a localized finite-element method, which is based on the theory of the calculus of variations. The excitation forces and moments on a submerged half-spheroid lying on the bottom are computed and compared with the results obtained by others. he agreement is good. Several specific types of floating vertical axisymmetric platforms are considered for ten different wave lengths, in connection with the design of an ocean-thermal-energy converter platform. The added mass and damping coefficient, as well as the excitations, are presented. It is shown that simple strip theory gives a good approximation of the sway(and pitch) added mass for a disc platform having a long circular cylinder.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.250-255
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• 2016

Ocean environmental data such as tide, wind, significant wave height etc. along the expected route were collected and analyzed to secure the safe towing and installation of floating pendulum wave energy converter(FPWEC) at planned sea area. Data from Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) and Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency(KHOA) were reviewed and those were used to estimate the external forces exerting on the FPWEC during the towing operation. ANSYS system was used for the structural analysis of the FPWEC which is subject to complex environmental load to confirm the safety.