• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.465-468
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• 2006

The wave power absorbing performance of a bottom-mounted oscillating water column (OWC) chamber structure is studied. The potential problem inside the chamber is solved by making use of the Green integral equation associated with the Rankine Green function while the outer problem with the Kelvin Green function taking account of fluctuating air pressure in the air chamber. The absorbed wave power, wave elevation inside the chamber, reflection coefficient and wave loads are calculated for various values of a parameter related to the fluctuating air pressure. The present methods can also be used for the design of a OWC breakwater which can absorb and reflect the incoming wave energy at the same time.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.317-321
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• 2015

Many kinds of generation systems have been developed to use ocean energy. Among these, with the use of an oscillating water column (OWC) for power generation is attracting attention. The OWC-type wave power generation system converts wave energy into electricity by operating a generator turbine with the oscillating water level in a column of water. There are two ways to convert wave power into electricity using an OWC. One uses a cross-flow turbine using the water level inside the OWC. The other method uses the flow of air in a Wells turbine, which depends on the water level. An experiment was carried out using a 2-D wave tank in order to minimize the number of empirical tests. The design factors were taken from Koo et al. (2012) and the experimental environment assumed by free surface motion. This paper deals with characteristics of two types of wave energy conversion systems combine with a breakwater. One model uses an air-driven Wells turbine and a cross-flow water turbine. The other type uses a cross-flow water turbine. Wave energy converters with OWCs have mostly been studied using air-driven Wells turbines. The efficiency of the cross-flow turbine was about 15% higher than that of the other model, and the water level of the OWC internal chamber for the cross-flow water turbine and air-driven Wells turbine was less than about 40% lower than the one using only the cross-flow water turbine.

• Journal of Advanced Research in Ocean Engineering
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.66-77
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• 2018

This paper presents a parametric study on an oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter (WEC). This OWC has been planned for installation in the breakwaters on isolated islands located away from the mainland. Both a numerical analysis and a model experiment are utilized for determining a proper conceptual design for this purpose. Various design parameters, including the configurations and dimensions, are evaluated through the numerical analysis, which is based on a potential flow theory, and several design concepts are then selected as candidates. The model experiment using a 2D wave flume is conducted to evaluate the effects of the design parameters and compare the performances of the candidates. Based on the overall results of the numerical analysis and model experiment, a conceptual design of the OWC WEC applicable to a breakwater is selected.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2019.11a
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• pp.150-152
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• 2019

In this study, the effects of the wave field changes due to the coastal structure on the hydrodynamic performance of the OWC wave energy, converter are analyzed using a three-dimensional numerical wave tank technique (NWT). The OWC device is simulated numerically by introducing a linear pressure drop model, considering the coupling effect between the turbine and the OWC chamber in the time domain. The flow distribution around the chamber is different due to the change of reflection characteristics depending on the consideration of the breakwater model. The wave energy captured from the breakwater is spatially distributed on the plane of the front of the breakwater, and the converted pneumatic power increased when concentrated in front of the chamber. The change of the standing wave distribution is repeated according to the relationship between the incident wavelength and the length of the breakwater, and the difference in energy conversion performance of the OWC was confirmed.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.589-597
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• 2015

Wave energy harvesting system using OWC(Oscillating Water Column) and MB (Movable Body) attached at the caisson breakwater was studied. This system was suggested to maximize wave energy extraction using resonant phenomena of oscillating water column and buoy in wave channel (Park et al., 2014). Not only incident waves but also reflected waves from the breakwater can be used as sources of exciting force for harvesting wave energy efficiently. Using Galerkin finite model based on the linear wave theory (Park, 1991), the performance of the system was evaluated for various damping ratios of power take off system. Numerical results show that the proposed system is excellent in efficiency compared with that of conventional system and the performance of the system is governed by the resonance of oscillating water column in the wave channel. In addition, the additional efforts to minimize viscous damping was found to be necessary because viscous damping occurring in the channel and around the moving buoy is significant in generation efficiency.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 1992

The hydrodynamic performance of a floating-type OWC (Oscillating Water Column) chamber is studied numerically and experimentally in this study. The numerical approach based on two-dimensional linear theory of floating wave absorber was attempted to design an efficient wave energy absorber, while model test was performed in a wave basin to test a performance of designed model and validate the reliability of developed numerical code. The focus of study is placed mainly on the experimental study to evaluate the principal characteristics of the designed OWC chamber in regular waves. The effects of the variation of wave height on OWC device and of air pressure inside chamber are also presented. Finally, the measured results were compared with computed ones, and it was shown that the designed chamber works with high efficiency $(\eta_H>1$ over most of wave lengths covered by present study. It is therefore concluded that the developed code is capable of being successfully employed to design OWC chambers at various ocean environments, even though there exist some minor discrepancies between measured and computed results.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.305-314
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• 2017

Ocean wave energy harvesting is still too expensive despite developing a variety of wave energy converter (WEC) devices. For the cost-effective wave energy harvesting, it can be an effective measure to use existing breakwaters or newly installed breakwaters for both wave control and energy harvesting purposes. In this study, we investigated the functionality of both breakwater and wave-power generator for the oscillating water column (OWC)-type wave energy converter (WEC) installed in a pneumatic floating breakwater, which was originally developed as a floating breakwater. In order to verify the performance of the breakwater as a WEC, the air flow velocity from air-chamber to WEC has to be evaluated properly. Therefore, air flow velocity, wave transformation and motion of floating structure was numerically implemented based on BEM from linear velocity potential theory without considering the compressibility of air within the chamber. Air pressure, meanwhile, was assumed to be fluctuated by the motions of structure and the water level change within air-chamber. The validity of the obtained values can be determined by comparing the previous results from the numerical analysis for different shapes. Based on numerical model results, wave transformation characteristics around OWC system mounted on the fixed and floating breakwaters, and motions of the structure with air flow velocities are investigated. In summary, all numerical results are almost identical to the previous research considering air compressibility. Therefore, it can be concluded that this analysis not considering air compressibility in the air chamber is more efficient and practical method.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.296-304
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• 2021

Research on the development of marine renewable energy is actively in progress. Various studies are being conducted on the development of wave energy converters. In this study, a numerical analysis of wave-energy extraction performance was performed according to the body shape and scale of the sloped oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter (WEC), which can be connected with the breakwater. The sloped OWC WEC was modeled in the time domain using a two-dimensional fully nonlinear numerical wave tank. The nonlinear free surface condition in the chamber was derived to represent the pneumatic pressure owing to the wave column motion and viscous energy loss at the chamber entrance. The free surface elevations in the sloped chamber were calculated at various incident wave periods. For verification, the results were compared with the 1:20 scaled model test. The maximum wave energy extraction was estimated with a pneumatic damping coefficient. To calculate the energy extraction of the actual size WEC, OWC models approximately 20 times larger than the scale model were calculated, and the viscous damping coefficient according to each size was predicted and applied. It was verified that the energy, owing to the airflow in the chamber, increased as the incident wave period increased, and the maximum efficiency of energy extraction was approximately 40% of the incident wave energy. Under the given incident wave conditions, the maximum extractable wave power at a chamber length of 5 m and a skirt draft of 2 m was approximately 4.59 kW/m.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.225-243
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• 2014

As the economic matters are involved, applying the WEC, which is used for controlling waves as well as utilizing the wave energy on existing breakwater, is preferred rather than installing exclusive WEC. This study examines the OWC mounted on a pressurized air chamber floating breakwater regarding the functionality of both breakwater and wave-power generation. In order to verify the performance as a WEC, the velocity of air flow from pressurized air chamber to WEC has to be evaluated properly. Therefore, numerical simulation was implemented based on BEM from linear velocity potential theory as well as Boyle's law with the state equation to analyze pressurized air flow. The validity of the obtained values can be determined by comparing the previous results from numerical analysis and empirically obtained values of different shapes. In the actual numerical analysis, properties of wave deformation around OWC system mounted on fixed type and floating type breakwaters, motions of the structure with air flow velocities are investigated. Since, the wind power generating system can be hybridized on the structure, it is expected to be applied on complex power generation system which generates both wind and wave power energy.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.470-475
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• 2019

This paper deals with a 30kW grid-connected PCS (Power Conversion System) for an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave-power generation system. Wave power generation in marine energy is suitable for Korea with the characteristics of a peninsula with three sides facing the sea. In the case of coastal disasters, wave generators can act as a breakwater to reduce damage, and can be integrated with other marine power generation systems to increase efficiency. Wave power generation systems are classified into various types, such as oscillating bodies, OWC, and overtopping according to the operation principle, and they can also be classified into two types according to the installation method: a fixed structure and floating structure. This paper proposes a 30kW grid-connected PCS topology and model for OWC wave power generation that is structurally stable with a turbine and generator that are relatively easy to maintain, and then provide a control method required for grid connection, including DC link voltage control. Simulation verification was performed to verify the proposed PCS.