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LAPSE:2023.21498v1

Performance Assessment of a Hybrid Wave Energy Converter Integrated into a Harbor Breakwater

Tomás Cabral, Daniel Clemente, Paulo Rosa-Santos, Francisco Taveira-Pinto, Tiago Morais, Filipe Belga, Henrique Cestaro

March 22, 2023

Abstract
Seaports are highly energy demanding infrastructures and are exposed to wave energy, which is an abundant resource and largely unexploited. As a result, there has been a rising interest in integrating wave energy converters (WEC) into the breakwaters of seaports. The present work analyzes the performance of an innovative hybrid WEC module combining an oscillating water column (OWC) and an overtopping device (OWEC) integrated into a rubble mound breakwater, based on results of a physical model study carried out at a geometrical scale of 1:50. Before the experimental tests, the device’s performance was numerically optimized using ANSYS Fluent and WOPSim v3.11. The wave power captured by the hybrid WEC was calculated and the performance of the two harvesting principles discussed. It was demonstrated that hybridization could lead to systems with higher efficiencies than its individual components, for a broader range of wave conditions. The chosen concepts were found to complement each other: the OWEC was more efficient for the lower wave periods tested and the OWC for the higher. Consequently, the power production of the hybrid WEC was found to be less dependent on the wave’s characteristics.

Record ID

LAPSE:2023.21498v1

Keywords

hybrid WEC, oscillating water column, overtopping device, physical modeling

Subject

Process Design

Suggested Citation

Cabral T, Clemente D, Rosa-Santos P, Taveira-Pinto F, Morais T, Belga F, Cestaro H. Performance Assessment of a Hybrid Wave Energy Converter Integrated into a Harbor Breakwater. (2023). LAPSE:2023.21498v1

Author Affiliations

Cabral T: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto, Terminal de Cruze [ORCID]
Clemente D: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto, Terminal de Cruze
Rosa-Santos P: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto, Terminal de Cruze [ORCID]
Taveira-Pinto F: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto, Terminal de Cruze
Morais T: Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI), Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Belga F: Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI), Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Cestaro H: Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI), Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal

Journal Name

Energies

Volume

Issue

Article Number

E236

Year

2020

Publication Date

2020-01-03

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3390/en13010236