Development and Hydrodynamic Performance of an Oscillating Buoy-Type Wave Energy Converter

Yeison Berrio, Germán Rivillas-Ospina (), Gregorio Posada Vanegas, Rodolfo Silva (), Edgar Mendoza, Victor Pugliese and Augusto Sisa
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Yeison Berrio: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia
Germán Rivillas-Ospina: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia
Gregorio Posada Vanegas: Instituto EPOMEX, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Av. Héroe de Nacozari 480, Campeche 24079, Mexico
Rodolfo Silva: Institute of Engineering, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Edgar Mendoza: Institute of Engineering, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Victor Pugliese: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia
Augusto Sisa: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-27

Abstract: The development of wave energy converters (WECs) faces several technical challenges, particularly enhancing the capturing efficiency, improving the conversion of mechanical to electric energy, and reducing energy losses in the transmission of electricity to land-based facilities. The present study is an assessment of the interaction between an oscillating buoy-type wave energy converter (WEC) and waves using experimental and numerical methods. A small-scale model was tested in a wave tank to evaluate its energy capturing efficiency, taking wave heights and periods as independent variables. The recorded data were used to validate OpenFOAM (version 9.0) simulations, which provided insights into system response characteristics. The findings highlight the critical role of resonance in optimizing energy capture, with maximum efficiency observed for medium wave periods, and with specific buoy configurations. The study also identified an inverse relationship between the capture width ratio and wave height, suggesting the need for customized buoy designs, tailored to specific sea states. The integrated approach used in this research provides a comprehensive understanding of WEC behaviour and offers valuable insights for advancing wave energy technologies and improving their sustainability and efficiency in diverse marine environments.

Keywords: energy converter (WEC); oscillating buoy device; computational fluid dynamics (CFD); experimental testing; numerical simulations; hydrodynamic efficiency (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: 2025
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