Parametric Study on Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converter Applicable to Breakwater

Abstract

This paper presents a parametric study on an oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter (WEC). This OWC has been planned for installation in the breakwaters on isolated islands located away from the mainland. Both a numerical analysis and a model experiment are utilized for determining a proper conceptual design for this purpose. Various design parameters, including the configurations and dimensions, are evaluated through the numeri-cal analysis, which is based on a potential flow theory, and several design concepts are then selected as candidates. The model experiment using a 2D wave flume is conducted to evaluate the effects of the design parameters and com-pare the performances of the candidates. Based on the overall results of the numerical analysis and model experi-ment, a conceptual design of the OWC WEC applicable to a breakwater is selected.