• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.427-430
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• 2006

This paper deals with the internal oscillating flaw in air chamber and duct of an OWC-type wave energy converter by numerical analysis using commercial CFD code, FLUENT. Whole oscillating flaw from OWC-type chamber to outlet through duct was solved by unsteady analysis in order that performance of wave energy conversion was made better. Results show that whole oscillating flaw field of this system in unsteady condition. Duct shape at setting place of turbine is curved with elbow, because profile of inlet condition to turbine is important in its efficiency. This paper is found internal flaw in air chamber and duct. Also, this research was found effect of duct shape.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.89-106
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• 2017

The study explores a novel design of wave energy converter (WEC) that utilizes the interaction between an inside heaving vertical cylinder with an outside fixed hollow cylinder. This design originates from the oscillating water column (OWC) type WEC but replaces the pneumatic power take off (PTO) through the Wells turbine with the hydrodynamic PTO through the inside heaving cylinder. To effectively evaluate the maximum power output, the system has been modeled in the hydrodynamic software AQWA (developed by ANSYS Inc) that has accumulated extensive offshore industry users. Ranges of the PTO parameters have been examined to make sure that proper linear damping can be implemented to simulate the PTO force. Comparing the efficiency of the pneumatic PTO with the hydrodynamic PTO, it appears that the hydrodynamic PTO is more promising than the traditional Wells turbine for an OWC system.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.33-38
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• 2012

The aim of this experimental study was to analyze the effect of the shape parameters and chamber pressure of a land-based oscillating water column (OWC) in regular incident waves. The magnitude of the free surface elevations inside the chamber was measured in a two-dimensional wave tank for various chamber skirt drafts and bottom slope angles. The surface elevations were also measured under both open chamber and partially open chamber conditions. From these measurements, the optimum shape of the OWC device could be predicted for the maximum wave energy conversion efficiency. It was found that the resonance frequency of the OWC system associated with incident waves moved toward the long wave region with increments of the draft of the chamber skirt and bottom slope. The behavior of the free surface elevation inside the chamber was also found to be dependent on the chamber pressure.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 2002

In this paper, wave energy absorption of OWC(oscillating water column) device is analyzed. The analytic model consists of a partially immersed circular vertical cylinder open at its end and an air turbine connected with the air chamber. The boundary value problem is decomposed into scattering problem related to scattering by an incident wave in the absence of a pressure variation and radiation problem describing the flow due to an oscillating pressure in the absence of an incident wave. By invoking the continuity of an air flow inside the chamber, the oscillating pressure in a chamber is derived. With oscillating pressure, the mean power absorbed by OWC device and the capture width are obtained. In numerical calculation, the induced volume flux across the internal free surface of the chamber in the scattering and radiation problem and the maximum capture width are compared with various design parameters such as radius and submergence depth of chamber and wave conditions. The maximum capture width obtained by choosing the optimal value of turbine constant occurs at the first resonant mode (Helmholtz mode) among the natural frequencies of a circular cylinder chamber.

• 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 Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.128-137
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• 2013

Due to the global warming and air pollution, interest in renewable energies has increased in recent years. In particular, the crisis of the depletion of fossil energy resources in the near future has accelerated the renewable energy technologies. Among the renewable energy resources, oceans covering almost three-fourths of earth's surface have an enormous amount of energy. For this reason, various approaches have been made to harness the tremendous energy potential. In order to achieve two purposes: to improve harbor water quality and to use wave energy, this study proposed a sea water exchange structure applying an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave generation system that utilizes the air flow velocity induced by the vertical motion of water column in the air chamber as a driving force of turbine. In particular, the airflow velocity in the air chamber was estimated from the time variations of water surface profile computed by using 3D-NIT model based on the 3-dimensional irregular numerical wave tank. The relationship of the frequency spectrums between the computed airflow velocities and the incident waves was analyzed. This study also discussed the characteristics of frequency spectrums in the air chamber according to the presence of the structure, wave deformations by the structure, and the power of the water and air flows were also investigated. It is found that the phase difference exists in the time series data of water level fluctuations and air flow in the air chamber and the air flow power is superior to the fluid flow power.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.20-25
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• 2001

부유식 파랑에너지 변환시스템(Oscillating Water Column)에서 에너지 변환은 입력파와 챔버, 챔버내 공기의 상호작용으로 이루어진다. 이 논문은 파랑에너지를 기계적 운동으로 변환하는 기계적 특성을 해석한다. 단일 진동수 규칙파가 입력되었을 때에 파에 의하여 챔버의 상하운동이 선형적으로 발생하며, 이 상하운동은 챔버내의 압력 변화에 영향을 받는다. 상하운동과 챔버내로 투과한 파, 그리고 챔버내 압력에 의해 발생되는 파에 의해 챔버내의 상대운동을 정하고, 그 상대운동에 의한 공기의 압축 팽창과 온도상승을 근사적 열역학적 방정식으로 해석하여 오리피스를 통한 유량과 압력을 기준으로 에너지 변환요율을 결정하였다. 얻어진 식은 간단하면서도 관련요소의 영향을 전반적으로 표현한다. 개구율 변화에 따른 운동응답을 비교하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2012

Oscillating water column is the most widely used ocean energy converting systems all over the world. The operating performance is influenced by the efficiencies of the two converting stages in the OWC chamber-turbine integrated system. In order to consider the effects of the turbine, the orifice model are carried out. The VOF based Numerical Wave Tank (NWT) is utilized to simulate the water column oscillation inside the chamber and the results are compared with corresponding experimental data. This paper reviews the state of the art in interaction among wave elevation inside the chamber and air flow rate in the duct, which are considered the turbine effects. Effects of incident wave conditions and several shape parameters on the operating performance of OWC chamber are investigated numerically. The effects of the impulse turbine on the integrated system and interaction among the wave elevation, pressure and air flow velocities variations are investigated.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.242-251
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• 2020

In this study, the extraction efficiency and reflection coefficient by a two-dimensional OWC (Oscillating Water Column) WEC (wave energy converter) installed in front of a seawall was investigated for regular/irregular waves. The matched eigenfunction expansion method (MEEM) based on the linear potential theory was applied as an analytical tool. The diffraction problem by the incident wave in the open-chamber and the radiation problem by the oscillating pressure in the closed-chamber were solved to obtain the volume fluxes at the internal free-surface. Applying the volume fluxes into the continuity equation for the airflow in a chamber, we got the oscillating air pressure. The maximum extracted power and corresponding reflection coefficient were determined at the optimal turbine coefficient that maximizes the extracted power. OWC device designed for a high extracted efficiency simultaneously contributes to reduce reflected waves.