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Wave Energy Conversion
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Wave Energy Conversion

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A3: Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2019) | Viewed by 31045

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Sergio Camporeale

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanics Mathematics and Management, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: gas turbines; combustion; wave energy; wind turbine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pasquale G. F. Filianoti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Enviromental and Civil Engineering, Materials and Energetics, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Interests: maritime hydraulics; wave mechanics; wave energy; coastal engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marco Torresi

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Guest Editor
DMMM, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: pumps as turbines; turbomachinery; energy systems; hydrogen; OWC
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject area of “Wave Energy Conversion”. All over the world, there is an increasing demand for energy that should be satisfied by renewable sources instead of fossil fuels to avoid the increase of greenhouse gases and particularly CO2 emissions, with consequent effects on global warming. Among renewable energy sources, wave energy is largely available along the coasts of oceans and seas and a large growth in wave energy installations is expected in the next years, as soon as wave energy converter (WEC) technologies become more mature. Currently, a number of different WECs have been proposed and tested, but large scale commercial installations are not yet in operation.

The aim of this Special Issue on “Wave Energy Conversion” is to collect significant scientific contributions regarding the most promising technologies, for on-shore, near-shore and off-shore installations. Papers concerning various WEC systems are welcome, for instance (but not limited to) on-shore and floating oscillating water columns, point absorbers, overtopping breakwaters, etc.

We invite researchers to contribute original research articles, as well as review articles. Contributions will promote public understanding of the operational principles of the various technologies. We are particularly interested in articles presenting novel ideas, innovative technologies, case studies, new approaches and theories or optimization methods that can help to enhance the efficiency and reduce the costs of energy production by means of WECs. The results of extensive experimental tests are most welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • wave energy resources;
  • wave energy devices and capture process;
  • the hydrodynamics of the wave–structure interaction and flow inside the device;
  • turbines and other power take-off devices, such as elastomeric systems, linear electric converters;
  • mooring and foundations
  • modelling and simulation tools;
  • experiments on full scale and small-scale systems;
  • structure design, fatigue and failure analysis;
  • reliability, operation and maintenance, survivability in extreme waves;
  • grid integration;
  • economic analysis;
  • environmental impact.

Prof. Sergio Camporeale
Prof. Pasquale G. F. Filianoti
Prof. Marco Torresi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wave energy resource
  • wave energy converter (WEC) 
  • oscillating water column (OWC) 
  • WEC hydrodynamics 
  • wells turbine 
  • impulse turbine 
  • point absorbers 
  • overtopping breakwaters

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 3790 KiB  
Article
The Wave-to-Wire Energy Conversion Process for a Fixed U-OWC Device
by Luana Gurnari, Pasquale G. F. Filianoti, Marco Torresi and Sergio M. Camporeale
Energies 2020, 13(1), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13010283 - 06 Jan 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3944
Abstract
Oscillating water column (OWC) devices, either fixed or floating, are the most common wave energy converter (WEC) devices. In this work, the fluid dynamic interaction between waves and a U-shaped OWC breakwater embedding a Wells turbine has been investigated through unsteady Computational Fluid [...] Read more.
Oscillating water column (OWC) devices, either fixed or floating, are the most common wave energy converter (WEC) devices. In this work, the fluid dynamic interaction between waves and a U-shaped OWC breakwater embedding a Wells turbine has been investigated through unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations. The full-scale plant installed in the harbor of Civitavecchia (Italy) was numerically modeled. A two-dimensional domain was adopted to simulate the unsteady flow, both outside and inside the U-OWC device, including the air chamber and the oscillating flow inside the conduit hosting the Wells turbine. For the numerical simulation of the damping effect induced by the Wells turbine connected to the air chamber, a porous medium was placed in the computational domain, representing the conduit hosting the turbine. Several simulations were carried out considering periodic waves with different periods and amplitudes, getting a deep insight into the energy conversion process from wave to the turbine power output. For this purpose, the three main steps of the overall energy conversion process have been examined. Firstly, from the wave power to the power of the water oscillating flow inside the U-duct. Secondly, from the power of the oscillating water flow to the air pneumatic power. Finally, from the air pneumatic power to the Wells turbine power output. Results show that the U-OWC can capture up to 66% of the incoming wave power, in the case of a wave period close to the eigenperiod of the plant. However, only two-thirds of the captured energy flux is available to the turbine, being partially dissipated due to the losses in the U-duct and the air chamber. Finally, the overall time-average turbine power output is evaluated showing that it is strongly influenced by a suitable choice of the turbine characteristics (mainly geometry and rotational speed). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wave Energy Conversion)
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21 pages, 6496 KiB  
Article
Advection-Based Coordinated Control for Wave-Energy Converter Array
by Hong Li, Bo Zhang, Li Qiu, Shiyu Chen, Jianping Yuan and Jianjun Luo
Energies 2019, 12(18), 3567; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12183567 - 18 Sep 2019
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1969
Abstract
This paper presents a coordinated control based on the advection consensus control algorithm to implement power dispatch for each wave-energy converter (WEC) in a WEC array. Under unbalanced conditions, the proposed algorithm is applied in order to control each WEC to output power [...] Read more.
This paper presents a coordinated control based on the advection consensus control algorithm to implement power dispatch for each wave-energy converter (WEC) in a WEC array. Under unbalanced conditions, the proposed algorithm is applied in order to control each WEC to output power coordinately, to enable the total output power of the WEC array to satisfy the time-varying load requirements. The purpose of the additional energy storage unit on each WEC is to smooth the power output of each WEC and to obtain more margin. Case studies include the demonstration of some simulations and experiments, and the results show that the WEC array under the proposed control method can accurately respond to the demand for power supply under unbalanced initial conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wave Energy Conversion)
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15 pages, 6259 KiB  
Article
Modeling and Validation of an Electrohydraulic Power Take-Off System for a Portable Wave Energy Convertor with Compressed Energy Storage
by Hao Tian, Zijian Zhou and Yu Sui
Energies 2019, 12(17), 3378; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12173378 - 02 Sep 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2521
Abstract
Small-scale, portable generation of electricity from ocean waves provides a versatile solution to power the ocean sensors network, in addition to the traditional large-scale wave energy conversion facilities. However, one issue of small-scale wave energy convertor (WEC) is the low capturable power density, [...] Read more.
Small-scale, portable generation of electricity from ocean waves provides a versatile solution to power the ocean sensors network, in addition to the traditional large-scale wave energy conversion facilities. However, one issue of small-scale wave energy convertor (WEC) is the low capturable power density, challenging the design of the efficient power take-off (PTO) system. To tackle this challenge, in this paper, an electrohydraulic PTO system with compressed energy storage was proposed to boost output power of a portable WEC. Lumped-parameter kinematics and dynamics of the four-bar mechanism, the fluid dynamics of the digital fluid power circuit, and the mechanical and volumetric power losses were modeled and experimentally validated. Initial test results of the 0.64 m2 footprint prototype showed that the inclusion of storage improved the averaged electric power output over 40 times compared to the traditional architecture, and the proposed device can deliver up to 122 W at peaks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wave Energy Conversion)
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22 pages, 12506 KiB  
Article
Design Optimisation of a Unidirectional Centrifugal Radial-Air-Turbine for Application in OWC Wave Energy Converters
by Nazanin Ansarifard, Alan Fleming, Alan Henderson, S.S. Kianejad and Shuhong Chai
Energies 2019, 12(14), 2791; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12142791 - 19 Jul 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3704
Abstract
Research on employing unidirectional air turbines for oscillating water columns (OWC) has received much attention in the last few years. Most unidirectional turbine topologies considered to date use axial flow unidirectional turbines. The radial turbine offers an alternative with increased resistance to backflow. [...] Read more.
Research on employing unidirectional air turbines for oscillating water columns (OWC) has received much attention in the last few years. Most unidirectional turbine topologies considered to date use axial flow unidirectional turbines. The radial turbine offers an alternative with increased resistance to backflow. However, in general, the efficiency of radial turbines is lower than axial turbines. This study describes a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based design optimisation of an outflow radial turbine for the intended application in an OWC system configured to enable primarily unidirectional flow through the turbine. The rotor blade geometry is parametrically described in addition to other turbine components. The central composite design (CCD) and genetic algorithm were used to explore an optimum design of a centrifugal radial turbine for a maximum total-to-static efficiency. Seven computer aided design (CAD) parameters were investigated as the design variables, and the optimum turbine design was identified in a population of 79 design points. The optimum outflow turbine was found to have a peak steady-state efficiency of 72%, and the leading-edge angle, guide vane angle, trailing edge angle, and the chord length were found to have the highest sensitivity. Compared to an inflow radial turbine, the geometrical features of the outflow turbine permit higher absolute velocities of the flow at the rotor entrance and increase the dynamic pressure changes across the rotor. Therefore, the optimised outflow radial turbine can obtain acceptable rotor energy transfer despite having a negative centrifugal energy transfer term. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wave Energy Conversion)
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16 pages, 3394 KiB  
Article
A Study of the Hydrodynamic Performance of a Pitch-type Wave Energy Converter–Rotor
by Sunny Kumar Poguluri, Il-Hyoung Cho and Yoon Hyeok Bae
Energies 2019, 12(5), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12050842 - 04 Mar 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4066
Abstract
The effect of hydrodynamic performance of the wave energy converter (WEC)–rotor based on linear potential flow theory due to nonlinear viscous damping was investigated. Free decay tests were conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to obtain the viscous damping moment. The commonly used [...] Read more.
The effect of hydrodynamic performance of the wave energy converter (WEC)–rotor based on linear potential flow theory due to nonlinear viscous damping was investigated. Free decay tests were conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to obtain the viscous damping moment. The commonly used procedure for obtaining the damping moment is based on peak amplitudes which normally require a long time history records. Such long free decay records may not be possible in nodding WEC rotor due high damping. The energy method proposed by Bass and Haddara requires only the short and full range of the recorded data. This method provides sufficiently good results when the bodies have high damping. The method equates the rate of change of the total energy of a body undergoing free rolling/pitching to the rate of energy dissipated by the damping. The present study adopts a similar methodology for estimating the linear and linear plus quadratic damping. To incorporate the nonlinear viscous damping moment in the linear equation of motion, an equivalent linearization concept is used without neglecting the nonlinear damping effects. The hydrodynamic coefficients obtained from the linear potential flow theory, nonlinear viscous damping moment from the energy method and estimated PTO damping are used to solve the equation of motion of the WEC rotor. The estimated pitch free decay data shows good agreement with the simulated CFD results when compared to the linear viscous damping moment and better agreement is obtained with linear plus quadratic viscous damping moment. The regular and irregular wave analyses show that a considerable effect on the hydrodynamic performance of the WEC rotor is observed when the linear and linear plus quadratic viscous damping are included. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wave Energy Conversion)
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28 pages, 7289 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Wave Energy Potential for the Baltic Sea with Focus on the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone
by Erik Nilsson, Anna Rutgersson, Adam Dingwell, Jan-Victor Björkqvist, Heidi Pettersson, Lars Axell, Johan Nyberg and Erland Strömstedt
Energies 2019, 12(5), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12050793 - 27 Feb 2019
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5808
Abstract
In this study, a third-generation wave model is used to examine the wave power resource for the Baltic Sea region at an unprecedented one-kilometer-scale resolution for the years 1998 to 2013. Special focus is given to the evaluation and description of wave field [...] Read more.
In this study, a third-generation wave model is used to examine the wave power resource for the Baltic Sea region at an unprecedented one-kilometer-scale resolution for the years 1998 to 2013. Special focus is given to the evaluation and description of wave field characteristics for the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (SEEZ). It is carried out to provide a more detailed assessment of the potential of waves as a renewable energy resource for the region. The wave energy potential is largely controlled by the distance from the coast and the fetch associated with the prevailing dominant wave direction. The ice cover is also shown to significantly influence the wave power resource, especially in the most northern basins of the SEEZ. For the areas in focus here, the potential annual average wave energy flux reaches 45 MWh/m/year in the two sub-basins with the highest wave energies, but local variations are up to 65 MWh/m/year. The assessment provides the basis for a further detailed identification of potential sites for wave energy converters. An outlook is given for additional aspects studied within a broad multi-disciplinary project to assess the conditions for offshore wave energy conversion within the SEEZ. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wave Energy Conversion)
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24 pages, 7081 KiB  
Article
Integration of Marine Wave Energy Converters into Seaports: A Case Study in the Port of Valencia
by Raúl Cascajo, Emilio García, Eduardo Quiles, Antonio Correcher and Francisco Morant
Energies 2019, 12(5), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12050787 - 26 Feb 2019
Cited by 60 | Viewed by 8036
Abstract
A feasibility study for the installation of Wave Energy Converters (WEC) in a Spanish Mediterranean port is evaluated in this paper. The final aim is to evaluate the possibility of building a new infrastructure which combines a breakwater and a WEC able to [...] Read more.
A feasibility study for the installation of Wave Energy Converters (WEC) in a Spanish Mediterranean port is evaluated in this paper. The final aim is to evaluate the possibility of building a new infrastructure which combines a breakwater and a WEC able to provide energy to the commercial port of Valencia. An estimation of the wave power potential is made according to existing databases from different sources. A review of the existing WEC types is carried out in order to choose the most suitable technology for its installation in a port environment. The authors discuss the main advantages and issues of the integration of WEC in port breakwaters. A prospective study for the Port of Valencia is made, considering the port energy demand evolution, historical data on wave energy potential and the port expansion plans. We conclude that Overtopping Devices (OTDs) are the most suitable ones to allow the good integration with the new breakwater needed for the expansion of the Port of Valencia and we give an estimation on the power available from the resource in our case study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wave Energy Conversion)
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