Experimental evaluation of the effect of wave focusing walls on the performance of the Sea-wave Slot-cone Generator

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2016

Autores

P. Oliveira (Autor) FEUP; F. Taveira Pinto (Autor) FEUP; T. Morais (Autor) Outra; P. Rosa Santos (Autor) FEUP

Revista

Título: Energy Conversion and Management

Vol. 110

Páginas: 165-175

ISSN: 0196-8904

Editora: Elsevier

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 10 Citações

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 22 Citações

INSPEC

COMPENDEX

Classificação Científica

CORDIS: Ciências Tecnológicas

FOS: Ciências da engenharia e tecnologias

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-00K-25V

DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2015.11.071

Abstract (EN): The Sea-wave Slot-cone Generator (SSG) is a multi-level overtopping based wave energy converter that can be installed either nearshore or offshore. The installation in harbor breakwaters and in the shoreline presents several advantages despite the usual exposure to smaller waves than at offshore locations. This work analyzes the effect of wave focusing walls (i.e., wave concentrators) on the performance of isolated SSG units using a physical model built on a geometric scale of 1/40. Seven configurations were defined by changing the opening angle and the crest level of those elements. The use of wave concentrators proved to be advantageous since a wider wave front is captured and the run-up and overtopping phenomena are enhanced on the SSG ramp owing to the wave energy concentration (walls tapering effect). In fact, the total mean power captured increased for all SSG configurations with concentrators in comparison to the base configuration (without concentrators), regardless of the sea state considered. In terms of hydraulic performance, the gain associated to the use of wave concentrators depends on the characteristics of incident waves, being higher for the smaller significant wave heights and the shorter peak wave periods. The hydraulic efficiency, defined as the ratio between the total mean power captured per meter of SSG width and the wave power per meter width of the incident waves, increases with the significant wave height and reduces with the peak wave period in all tested SSG configurations. In addition, in comparison to the base configuration, the hydraulic efficiencies with concentrators were higher for the smaller significant wave heights, but smaller for the other sea conditions. The use of wave concentrators increased the annual energy production approximately to the double. Overall, the application of the SSG technology in breakwaters presents itself as promising considering the characteristics of the wave resource nearshore or even in onshore locations.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 11