• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.1012-1016
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• 2009

This paper describes the control and monitoring system for OWEC (Overtopping Wave Energy Converter) which shows the characteristic of power stabilization in overtopping wave energy converter system. Overtopping waves generates different water pressure and the turbine is rotated by this pressure. As a result, overtopping wave energy converter is able to convert wave energy into electricity. Small size of overtopping wave energy converter is developed to simulate the control monitoring system which is able to control power generation and also monitor the system condition. The result shows the reduction of fluctuation from the overtopping wave energy system by the developed control monitoring system. In addition, the DB(Data Base) of test results are contributed to the research and development for OWEC.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.1303-1309
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• 2015

The behavior and flow characteristics of the floating wave energy converter were analyzed by using CFD in this study. The average significant wave height was confirmed as 0.5~2.0m from the Korean coastal sea area. This study was carried out by selecting a range of 1.0~1.6m in the wave height to simulate the operations of realistic wave energy converter system. The principle of a piston wave maker was applied in order to produce periodic wave. The behavior of the wave energy converter and the state of the wave overtopping according to the generated periodic wave were confirmed through the unsteady three-dimensional flow analysis. It was found that the wave overtopping rate according to the generated periodic wave was in range of the 11.6~30.0 kg/s.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.19 no.6 s.67
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• pp.8-15
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• 2005

Wave energy has been considered to be one of the most promising energy resources for the future, as it is pollution-free and an abundant natural resource. However, since it has drawbacks of non-stationary energy density, it is necessary to change the wave energy into a simple concentrated energy. Progressive waves in a coastal area can be amplified, swashed, and overtopped by a wave overtopping control structure. By conserving the quantity of overflow in a reservoir, the kinetic energy of the waves can be converted to the potential energy with a hydraulic head above the mean sea level. The potential energy in the form of a hydraulic head can be utilized to produce electric power, similar to hydro-electric power generation. This study aims to find the most optimal shape of wave overtopping structure for maximum overtopping volume of sea water; for this purpose, we carried out the wave overtopping experiment in a wave tank, under both regular and irregular wave conditions.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 2010

An efficient wave energy converter with new overtopping flow device on which spiral reefs are attached is proposed by Maritime and Ocean Engineering Research Institute in Korea and its candidate substructures such as monopile, tripod and jacket are designed. This study investigates modal characteristics of the substructures by analyzing natural frequencies and mode shapes. Based on the modal analysis results, relative strength, governing modes and some complementary design strategies of each candidate substructure are compared and discussed considering water depth conditions.

• 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.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.651-659
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• 2018

A multi-level overtopping wave energy converter was designed according to the large tidal range and small wave heights in China. It consists of two reservoirs with sloping walls at different levels. The reservoirs share a common outflow duct and a low-head axial turbine. The experimental study was carried out in a laboratory wave-flume to investigate the overtopping performance of the device. The depth-gauges were used to measure the variation of the water level in the reservoirs. The data was processed to derive the time-averaged overtopping discharges. It was found that the lower reservoir can store wave waters at the low water level and break the waves which try to climb up to the upper reservoir. The upper sloping angle and the opening width of the lower reservoir both have significant effects on the overtopping discharges, which can provide more information to the design and optimization of this type of device.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.992-1001
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• 2023

OWEC (Overtopping Wave Energy Converter) is a wave power generation system using the wave overtopping. The performance and safety of the OWEC are affected by wave characteristics, such as wave height, period. To mitigate this issue, optimal OWEC designs based on wave characteristics must be investigated. In this study, the environmental conditions along the Ulleungdo coast were used. The hydraulic efficiency of the OWEC was calculated using SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) by comparing 4 models that changed the substructure. As a result, it was possible to change the substructure. Through design optimization, a new truss-type structure, which is a substructure capable of carrying the design load, was proposed. Through a case study using member diameter and thickness as design variables, structural safety was secured under allowable stress conditions. Considering wave load, the natural frequency of the proposed structure was compared with the wave period of the relevant sea area. Harmonic response analysis was performed using wave with a 1-year return period as the load. The proposed substructure had a reduced response magnitude at the same exciting force, and achieved weight reduction of more than 32%.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.168-174
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• 2022

In a wave power generation system, the overtopping system is known as an overtopping wave energy converter (OWEC). The performance of an OWEC is affected by wave characteristics such as height and period because its power generation system is sensitive to those characteristics; these, as well as wave direction, depend on the sea. As these characteristics vary, it is hard for the OWEC to produce power in a stable manner. Therefore, it is necessary to find an appropriate shape for an OWEC, according to the characteristics of the sea it is in. This research verified the effect of the design of the OWEC ramp on the hydraulic efficiency using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) particle method. A total of 10 models were designed and used in simulations performed by selecting the design parameters of the ramp and changing the attack angle based on those parameters. The hydraulic efficiency was calculated based on the rate of discharged water obtained from the analysis result. The effect of each variable on the overtopping performance according to the shape of the ramp was then confirmed. In this study, we present suggestions for determining the direction for an appropriately shaped OWEC ramp, based on a specific sea area.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.359-371
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• 2020

The performance of a multi-level overtopping wave energy converter (OWEC) has been numerically and experimentally investigated in a two-dimensional wave tank in order to study the effects of opening width of additional reservoirs. The device is a fixed OWEC consisting of an inclined ramp together with several reservoirs at different levels. A particle-based numerical simulation utilizing the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is used to simulate the flow behavior around the OWEC. Additionally, an experimental model is also built and tested in a small wave flume in order to validate the numerical results. A comparison in energy captured performance between single-level and multi-level devices has been proposed using the hydraulic efficiency. The enhancement of power capture performance is accomplished by increasing an overtopping flow rate captured by the extra reservoirs. However, a noticeably large opening of the extra reservoirs can result in a reduction in the power efficiency. The overtopping flow behavior into the reservoirs is also presented and discussed. Moreover, the results of hydrodynamic performance are compared with a similar study, of which a similar tendency is achieved. Nevertheless, the LBM simulations consume less computational time in both pre-processing and calculating phases.

• 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.