Experimental and validation study on the performance and hydrodynamic modelling of a heave attitude self-sustaining wave energy converter

Mingqi Yu, Feifei Cao, Hongda Shi, Xu Ma, Xi Yi, Weimin Wu and Xiantao Zhang

Energy, 2025, vol. 328, issue C

Abstract: Despite the advantages of the rocker-type wave energy converter (WEC), such as an uncomplicated structure and easy maintenance, its constrained circular motion trajectory prevents the buoy from maintaining a stable heave attitude, impacting the efficiency of energy capture. This study introduces a novel heave attitude self-sustaining wave energy converter (HASS-WEC) that combines the excellent wave-following ability of heave-type WECs with the maintenance simplicity of rocker-type WECs. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of HASS-WEC under various conditions, including changes in wave characteristics, WEC layout, and initial tilt angle of connecting rods. The findings indicated that the initial inclination of the connecting rod influences the resonance properties of HASS-WEC, pre-setting the angle enhances energy capture efficiency and accommodates tidal water level variations, achieving a maximum capture width ratio of 0.7. Furthermore, waves incident from behind increase the heave amplitude of HASS-WEC by up to 10 % compared to waves from ahead. Finally, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model was established and validated against experimental data. The results show that the established model has satisfactory stability and accuracy, offering a foundation for further research on HASS-WEC. The presented HASS-WEC provides fresh insights and guidance for efficiently developing and promoting wave energy utilisation.

Keywords: Wave energy converter; Heave attitude self-sustaining; Tank experiments; Computational fluid dynamics; Power absorption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:328:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225021620

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.136520

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