A Parametric Study on Design of Primary Energy Converter for Oscillating Water Column

Abstract

This study investigates the key design parameters of an oscillating water column (OWC) type wave energy converter, focusing on the primary energy conversion process within the OWC chamber. A potential-flow-based in-house numerical analysismethod and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach are employed in a complementary manner to examine the effects of major design variables such as chamber length, width, and skirt depth. Based on the wave conditions at the target site, the study aims to derive an optimal chamber design that maximizes energy conversion efficiency.