Response of a self-powered offshore floating support structure with an OWC for powering a LIDAR device

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021-01-01

Authors

Nuno Mathias (Author) Other; Rebeca Nunes Marini (Author) Other; Tiago Morais (Author) Other; Pedro Luís (Author) Other; Mário Vaz (Author) FEUP; Paulo Rosa Santos (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Ocean Engineering

Vol. 220 No. art.108366

Pages: 1-11

ISSN: 0029-8018

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 0 Citations

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Technological sciences

FOS: Engineering and technology

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00T-9PD

DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2020.108366

Abstract (EN): To give an effective response to the increasing demand to characterise wind availability and intensity for the installation of future offshore wind farms, SPAR buoy OWCs with LIDAR present a clear benefit, due to their stability, mechanical and operational simplicity and lower cost, when compared to wind measuring towers, serving as an alternative to the latter, mainly for deep water. This paper proposes a compromise between a stable SPAR buoy for wind measurements (average speed, gusts, etc.) and a sufficiently capable energy generating OWC device for long-term self-sustainability. Key parameters such as mass distribution and geometry were accounted for, in order to achieve both outcomes. The performance of an oceanic SPAR buoy OWC was analysed numerically and experimentally tested at 1:16 scale, under regular and irregular sea states, in order to quantify its hydrodynamic behaviour and capability to generate electrical energy, using two different PTO configurations. Depending on the sea-states, different PTO configurations result in better performance. For higher significant wave heights, the 39% porosity membrane used as a PTO performed better from a power perspective, whereas for lower significant wave height, the 70% porosity membrane presented better results. Low energy consumption wind measuring equipment may benefit from this application.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11