Comparative Study of Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter Performance: A Case Study for Southern Coasts of the Caspian Sea

Erfan Amini, Rojin Asadi, Danial Golbaz, Mahdieh Nasiri, Seyed Taghi Omid Naeeni, Meysam Majidi Nezhad, Giuseppe Piras and Mehdi Neshat
Additional contact information
Erfan Amini: School of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 13145, Iran
Rojin Asadi: School of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 13145, Iran
Danial Golbaz: School of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 13145, Iran
Mahdieh Nasiri: School of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran 13114, Iran
Seyed Taghi Omid Naeeni: School of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 13145, Iran
Meysam Majidi Nezhad: Department of Astronautics, Electrical and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Piras: Department of Astronautics, Electrical and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Mehdi Neshat: Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Optimization, Torrens University Australia, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 19, 1-21

Abstract: The search for renewable energy supplies for today’s global energy demand, particularly ocean wave energy for coastal areas, has become undeniably widespread in the last two decades. The Caspian Sea represents an immense opportunity for using ocean renewable energy, especially considering its long shoreline. In this study, the locations with maximum potential wave energy were chosen in the central, eastern, and western zones of the Caspian Sea’s southern coasts. Accordingly, the wave and bathymetric data were used as the input to calculate the oscillating surge wave energy converter’s flap geometric dimensions based on previous studies. Then, the geometric model was designed, and then the wave energy converters were modeled in the Wave Energy Converter Simulator (WEC-Sim) module in the MATLAB software. Furthermore, eight models in each sea state were simulated to find the best value of the PTO damping coefficient, which led to the highest capture factor. Finally, all the external forces on the WEC’s flap and the converter’s power output results were compared, taking into account the effects of the flap height on the total power output. It was found that Nowshahr port has more potential than the Anzali and Amirabad ports, as the converter’s absorbed power proved to be 16.7 kW/m (Capture factor = 63%) at this site. Consequently, by conducting a comparative analysis between the selected sites, the excitation, radiation damping, and power take-off forces were scrutinized. The results show that the highest applied forces to the converter’s flap occurred at Nowshahr port, followed by the Anzali and Amirabad ports, due to the directional characteristics of the waves at the central coasts of the Caspian Sea.

Keywords: wave energy conversion; wave models; Caspian Sea; WEC-Sim; OSWEC (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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