Hydrodynamic performance of a forward bent duct buoy oscillating water column wave energy converter

Abstract

This study investigated the hydrodynamic performance of the forward bent duct buoy oscillating water column (FBDB-OWC) wave energy converter (WEC), focusing on the effects of side-wall angle, bottom-wall angle, top-wall angle and corner radius. Using three-dimensional numerical modeling based on computational fluid dynamics, this research evaluated the hydrodynamic performance through the pressure drop, airflow rate and free surface inside the chamber, and assessed the energy conversion efficiency of the converter. The results indicate that the side-wall angle of the duct has a minimal effect on capture width ratio. The bottom-wall angle significantly improves the energy conversion efficiency, while modifications to the top-wall angle offer additional gains. When both wall angles are set to 25°, the FBDB configuration achieves a substantial increase in wave energy capture, with an 84.4 % pneumatic power increase compared to the configuration without angled walls. Additionally, an optimal corner radius further enhances energy conversion, leading to a 125.9 % increase in the capture width ratio relative to the FBDB converter without angled walls and rounded corners. These findings offer crucial insights for the optimization of FBDB-OWC WEC designs, contributing to improved energy capture efficiency and overall performance.