An Experimental Study of Pile-Supported OWC-Type Breakwaters: Energy Extraction and Vortex-Induced Energy Loss

Fang He, Mingjia Li and Zhenhua Huang
Additional contact information
Fang He: Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Mingjia Li: Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Zhenhua Huang: Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA

Energies, 2016, vol. 9, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Integrating wave energy converters with breakwaters is a promising concept for wave energy utilization. On the basis of fulfilling the wave protection demands, pile-supported Oscillating Water Column (OWC)-type breakwaters can also meet the local needs of electricity far from the lands. In the present study, the wave energy extraction and vortex-induced energy loss of pile-supported OWC-type breakwaters were analyzed based on a two-point measurement method. The importance of energy extraction and vortex-induced energy loss on the wave energy dissipation of pile-supported OWC-type breakwaters were experimentally investigated. It was found that the trends of energy extraction and vortex-induced energy loss were generally correlated. The effects of the pneumatic damping induced by top opening affected the vortex-induced energy loss more than the energy extraction. Results showed that a larger pneumatic damping was preferable for the purpose of increasing energy extraction, whereas for a smaller pneumatic damping the vortex-induced energy loss was more important to the energy dissipation. With increasing draft, the energy extraction decreased, but the vortex-induced energy loss complementally contributed to the total energy dissipation and made the energy dissipation at the same level as that for a shallower draft.

Keywords: wave energy extraction; oscillating water column; pile-supported breakwater; wave energy dissipation; vortex-induced energy loss; orifice characteristics; pneumatic damping; experimental study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/7/540/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/9/7/540/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:9:y:2016:i:7:p:540-:d:73856

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().