Session: 16-01-01 Offshore Wind Energy and Renewables

Submission Number: 182318

On the Hydrodynamics of a Spar-Buoy OWC Wave Energy Converter 

In recent decades, significant advances have been made in technologies for harnessing wave energy, particularly for offshore renewable energy systems. The aim of this research is to access the useful wave power considering an OWC in a Spar-buoy varying some PTO  (Power Take Off)  properties through numerical and experimental tests, investigating its response amplitude operators (RAOs), added mass and damping coefficients. For this purpose, the model is based on the Spar-buoy developed at the Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon (IST), which is widely studied. Numerical simulations were performed using potential flow theory from the OrcaWave software and time domain simulations using the OrcaFlex software. Experimental tests were carried out at the Laboratory of Waves and Currents (LOC/COPPE/UFRJ), where the model response was evaluated in all six degrees of freedom under regular wave conditions. Also, different orifice diameters were installed at the top of the air chamber to simulate the varying PTO damping levels, while internal air pressure and free-surface oscillations were continuously monitored. The combined results provide valuable insight into the dynamic performance of Spar-buoy OWC devices, contributing to a better understanding of their hydrodynamic behavior and supporting future optimization of wave energy converters for real-sea applications.

Presenting Author: Emerson Martins De Andrade UFRJ

Presenting Author Biography: Received a B.Sc. in Naval Architecture, Marine and Ocean Engineering from the Polytechnic School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, in 2020, and the M.Sc. degree from The Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE-UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, in 2022, where he is currently working toward the D.Sc. degree with the Department of Ocean Engineering. He is a Researcher at the Laboratory of Waves and Current (LOC), from the Department of Ocean Engineering, COPPE-UFRJ. His research interests include hydrodynamics, numerical methods, experimental tests, and autonomous vehicles.

Authors:

Giulia Silva Creazola UFRJ
Emerson Martins De Andrade UFRJ
Antonio Carlos Fernandes UFRJ
Joel Sena Sales Junior UFRJ