• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.1-19
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• 2019

Latching control was applied to a Wave Energy Converter (WEC) buoy with direct linear electric Power Take-Off (PTO) systems oscillating in heave direction in waves. The equation of the motion of the WEC buoy in the time-domain is characterized by the wave exciting, hydrostatic, radiation forces and by several damping forces (PTO, brake, and viscous). By applying numerical schemes, such as the semi-analytical and Newmark ${\beta}$ methods, the time series of the heave motion and velocity, and the corresponding extracted power may be obtained. The numerical prediction with the latching control is in accordance with the experimental results from the systematic 1:10-model test in a wave tank at Seoul National University. It was found that the extraction of wave energy may be improved by applying latching control to the WEC, which particularly affects waves longer than the resonant period.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.21-41
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• 2023

Decarbonization and energy transition can be considered as a main concern even for the oil industry. One of the initiatives to reduce emissions under studies considers the use of renewable energy as a complimentary supply of electric energy of the production platforms. Wind energy has a higher TRL (Technology Readiness Level) than other types of energy converters and has been considered in these studies. However, other types of renewable energy have potential to be used and hybrid concepts considering wind platforms can help to push the technological development of other types of energy converters and improve their efficiency. In this article, a preliminary hydrodynamic assessment of a new concept of hybrid wind and wave energy conversion platform was performed, in order to evaluate the potential of wave power extraction. A multiple OWCs (Oscillating Water Column) WEC (Wave Energy Converter) design was adopted for the analysis and some simplifications were adopted to permit using a frequency domain approach to evaluate the mean wave power estimation for the location. Other strategies were used in the OWC design to create resonance in the sea energy range to try to maximize the potential power to be extracted, with good results.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.614-624
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• 2013

The resonance power buoy is a convincing tool that can increase the extraction efficiency of wave energy. The buoy needs a corresponding draft, to move in resonance with waves within the peak frequency band where wave energy is concentrated. However, it must still be clarified if the buoy acts as an effective displacement amplifier, when there is insufficient water depth. In this study, the vertical displacement of a circular cylinder-type buoy was calculated, with the spectrum data observed in a real shallow sea as the external wave force, and with the corresponding draft, according to the mode frequency of normal waves. Such numerical investigation result, without considering Power Take-Off (PTO) damping, confirmed that the area of the heave responses spectrum can be amplified by up to about tenfold, compared with the wave energy spectrum, if the draft corresponds to the peak frequency, even with insufficient water depth. Moreover, the amplification factor of the buoy varied, according to the seasonal changes in the wave spectra.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.77-99
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• 2017

Offshore oscillating water columns (OWC) represent one of the most promising forms of wave energy converters. The hydrodynamic performance of such converters heavily depends on their interactions with ocean waves; therefore, understanding these interactions is essential. In this paper, a fully nonlinear 2D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model based on RANS equations and VOF surface capturing scheme is implemented to carry out wave energy balance analyses for an offshore OWC. The numerical model is well validated against published physical measurements including; chamber differential air pressure, chamber water level oscillation and vertical velocity, overall wave energy extraction efficiency, reflected and transmitted waves, velocity and vorticity fields (PIV measurements). Following the successful validation work, an extensive campaign of numerical tests is performed to quantify the relevance of three design parameters, namely incoming wavelength, wave height and turbine damping to the device hydrodynamic performance and wave energy conversion process. All of the three investigated parameters show important effects on the wave-pneumatic energy conversion chain. In addition, the flow field around the chamber's front wall indicates areas of energy losses by stronger vortices generation than the rear wall.

• 한국해양공학회지
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.390-402
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• 2022

Offshore wind energy has become a major energy source, and various studies are underway to increase the economic feasibility of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT). In this study, the characteristics of wave-induced motion of a combined wind-wave energy platform were analyzed to reduce the variability of energy extraction. A user subroutine was developed, and numerical analysis was performed in connection with the ANSYS-AQWA hydrodynamic program in the time domain. A platform combining the TLP-type FOWT and the Wavestar-type wave energy converter (WEC) was proposed. Each motion response of the platform on the second-order wave load, the effect of WEC attachment and Power take-off (PTO) force were analyzed. The mooring line tension according to the installation location was also analyzed. The vertical motion of a single FOWT was increased approximately three times due to the second-order sum-frequency wave load. The PTO force of the WEC played as a vertical motion damper for the combined platform. The tension of the mooring lines in front of the incident wave direction was dominantly affected by the pitch of the platform, and the mooring lines located at the side of the platform were mainly affected by the heave of the platform.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• 제3권4호
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• pp.327-348
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• 2013

An Oscillating Water Column (OWC) is a relatively practical and convenient device that converts wave energy to a usable form, which is electricity. The OWC is kept inside a fixed truncated vertical cylinder, which is a hollow structure with one open end submerged in the water and with an air turbine at the top. This research adopts potential theory and Galerkin methods to solve the fluid motion inside the OWC. Using an air-water interaction model, OWC design for energy extraction from regular wave is also explored. The hydrodynamic coefficients of the scattering and radiation potentials are solved for using the Galerkin approximation. The numerical results for the free surface elevation have been verified by a series of experiments conducted in the University of New Orleans towing tank. The effect of varying geometric parameters on the response amplitude operator (RAO) of the OWC is studied and modification of the equation for evaluating the natural frequency of the OWC is made. Using the model of air-water interaction under certain wave parameters and OWC geometric parameters, a computer program is developed to calculate the energy output from the system.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2009년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.600-605
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• 2009

A general purpose viscous flow solver Ansys CFX is used to study a Savonius type wave energy converter in a 3D numerical viscous wave tank. This paper presents the results of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the effect of blade configuration on the performance of 3 bladed Savonius rotors for wave energy extraction. A piston-type wave generator was incorporated in the computational domain to generate the desired incident waves. A complete OWC system with a 3-bladed Savonius rotor was modeled in a three dimensional numerical wave tank and the hydrodynamic conversion efficiency was estimated. The flow over the rotors is assumed to be two-dimensional (2D), viscous, turbulent and unsteady. The CFX code is used with a solver of the coupled conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy, with an implicit time scheme and with the adoption of the hexahedral mesh and the moving mesh techniques in areas of moving surfaces. Turbulence is modeled with the k.e model. Simulations were carried out simultaneously for the rotor angle and the helical twist. The results indicate that the developed models are suitable to analyze the water flows both in the chamber and in the turbine. For the turbine, the numerical results of torque were compared for all the cases.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• 제11권6호
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• pp.1700-1706
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• 2016

In this paper, a dual-stator, spoke-type linear vernier machine (DSSLVM) for wave energy extraction application was proposed. This machine is capable of producing a competitively high thrust force and force density at a low operation speed in direct drive systems. The operation principal and working of the proposed DSSLVM were studied. The stator core height is adjusted to improve the overall force density of the proposed machine while reducing the force ripple. To evaluate the advantages of the proposed DSSLVM, the main performance was compared with that of a recently developed linear primary permanent magnet vernier machine (LPPMVM). The proposed machine exhibited greater thrust force and force density, an improved power factor and lower force ripple with the same permanent magnet (PM) volume compared to the LPPMVM.

• 한국해양환경ㆍ에너지학회지
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.282-290
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• 2015

부이의 수직운동으로부터 파랑에너지를 추출하는 파력발전기의 추출효율을 극대화하기 위하여 Sheng et al.(2015)이 제안한 래칭 제어기법을 적용하였다. 래칭 제어기법은 부이를 구속하는 래칭 시간을 조절하여 추출효율을 높이는 위상제어 방법이다. 래칭 제어기법을 규칙파중 수직운동하는 부이에 적용한 결과, 공진조건을 만족하지 않았음에도 불구하고 부이의 운동속도와 추출파워는 크게 증가하였다. 부이의 수직운동으로부터 파랑에너지를 흡수하는 파력발전기에 이러한 래칭 제어기법을 도입하면 추출파워의 증가와 더불어 부이의 흘수와 PTO감쇠력을 줄일 수 있어 제작비용을 크게 낮출 수 있다.

• 한국해양공학회지
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.15-24
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• 2009

The results of a simulation study of variable liquid column oscillations in U-tanks with a novel control scheme are presented. The configuration under investigation is analogous to that of the tuned liquid-column damper used to suppress oscillatory motion in large structures like tall buildings and cargo ships. However, by virtue of an adequate controller, the response of amplitude of the U-tanks becomes larger in a desired frequency range. The motion of wave energy conversion system equipped with a variable liquid column oscillator is described by a series of nonlinear differential equations. The equations describe the motion of body under ocean wave excitation, and the motion of liquid with an air-spring effect caused by the compression and expansion of air in vertical liquid columns and air chambers. It is shown that the effect of the air-spring has a vital role to maintain the natural frequency of oscillation in the system to synchronize with the frequency of the ocean wave, thus the system provides the most effective mode for energy extraction from the ocean.