Analysis of the SEA-OWC-Clam wave energy device – Part A: Historical development, hydrodynamic and motion response formulations & solutions

Norman W. Bellamy, Andrea Bucchi and Grant E. Hearn

Renewable Energy, 2016, vol. 88, issue C, 220-235

Abstract: The SEA-Clam wave energy device has undergone the metamorphic changes presented in the historical development. Each variation leads to more complex hydrodynamic and motion responses. The most recent novel Oscillating Water Column (OWC) form of the device has multiple internal free surfaces, the motions of which are required to predict power take-off once a device specification with structural integrity has been identified. Motion equations for structure and the large number of degrees-of-freedom of the free surfaces modelled as massless plates are derived and presented in a very compact form. This paper also proffers two simpler models consistent with standard offshore engineering calculations. These are investigated within since structural integrity of device requires further refinement; as demonstrated in the companion paper. Quality checks of the hydrodynamic analyses are explained and applied to justify the numerical investigations undertaken. Sea spectra for the possible operational site of South Uist are used to generate motion transfer functions for associated wave frequency range. The peak pitch response of this large annular shaped structure is a main concern regarding survivability. The analyses undertaken reflect conceptual rather than detailed design status of the device.

Keywords: Multiple degrees-of-freedom; Free-surface influences; Hydrodynamic quality checks; Negative added mass; Fredholm integral equations; Boundary elements (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096014811530450X
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

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:eee:renene:v:88:y:2016:i:c:p:220-235

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2015.11.032

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable Energy is currently edited by Soteris A. Kalogirou and Paul Christodoulides

More articles in Renewable Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().