A Comparison of Biradial and Wells Air Turbines on the Mutriku Breakwater OWC Wave Power Plant

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. C. Henriques ◽  
W. Sheng ◽  
A. F. O. Falcão ◽  
L. M. C. Gato
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Domain Model ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Wells Turbine ◽  
Sharp Drop ◽  
Demonstration Site

The Mutriku breakwater wave power plant is located in the Bay of Biscay, in Basque Country, Spain. The plant is based on the oscillating water column (OWC) principle and comprises 16 air chambers, each of them equipped with a Wells turbine coupled to an electrical generator with a rated power of 18.5 kW. The IDMEC/IST Wave Energy Group is developing a novel self-rectifying biradial turbine that aims to overcome several limitations of the Wells turbine, namely the sharp drop in efficiency above a critical flow rate. The new turbine is symmetrical with respect to a mid-plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The rotor is surrounded by a pair of radial-flow guide vane rows. Each guide vane row is connected to the rotor by an axisymmetric duct whose walls are flat discs. In the framework of the “OPERA” European H2020 Project, the new biradial turbine will be tested at Mutriku and later will be installed and tested on a floating OWC wave energy converter — the OCEANTEC Marmok-5’s — to be deployed at BiMEP demonstration site in September of 2017. The aim of the present paper is to perform critical comparisons of the performance of the new biradial and the Wells turbine that is presently installed at Mutriku. This is based on results from a time-domain numerical model. For the purpose, a new hydrodynamic frequency domain model of the power plant was developed using the well know WAMIT software package. This was used to build a time-domain model based on the Cummins approach.

A Sea Trial of Wave Power Plant With Impulse Turbine

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manabu Takao ◽  
Eiji Sato ◽  
Shuichi Nagata ◽  
Kazutaka Toyota ◽  
Toshiaki Setoguchi
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Rotational Speed ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Wave Energy Conversion ◽  
Wells Turbine ◽  
Impulse Turbine ◽  
Sea Trial

A sea trial of wave power plant using an impulse turbine with coreless generator has been carried out at Niigata-nishi Port, in order to demonstrate usefulness of the turbine for wave energy conversion. Oscillating water column (OWC) based wave power plant has been installed at the side of a breakwater and has an air chamber with a sectional area of 4 m2 (= 2m × 2m). The impulse turbine used in the sea trial has fixed guide vanes both upstream and downstream, and these geometries are symmetrical with respect to the rotor centerline in order to rotate in a single direction in bi-directional airflow generated by OWC. The turbine is operated at lower rotational speed in comparison with conventional turbines. The rotor has a tip diameter of 458 mm, a hub-to-tip ratio of 0.7, a tip clearance of 1 mm, a chord length of 82.8 mm and a solidity of 2.0. The guide vane with chord length of 107.4 mm is symmetrically installed at the distance of 30.7 mm downstream and upstream of the rotor. The guide vane has a solidity of 2.27, a thickness ratio of 0.0279, a guide vane setting angle of 30° and a camber angle of 60°. The generator is coreless type and can generate electricity at lower rotational speed in comparison with conventional generator. The rated and maximum powers of the generator are 450 W and 880 W respectively. The experimental data obtained in the sea trial of wave power plant with the impulse turbine having coreless generator was compared to these of Wells turbine which is the mainstream of the turbine for wave energy conversion. As a result, total efficiency of the plant using the impulse turbine was higher than that of Wells turbine.

Performance of a High-Solidity Wells Turbine for an OWC Wave Power Plant

1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 263-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. C. Gato ◽  
V. Warfield ◽  
A. Thakker
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Wells Turbine ◽  
Guide Vanes ◽  
Turbine Efficiency ◽  
Pressure Distributions

The paper describes an experimental investigation, and presents the results of the aerodynamic performance of a high-solidity Wells turbine for a wave power plant. A monoplane turbine of 0.6 m rotor diameter with guide vanes was built and tested. The tests were conducted in unidirectional steady airflow. Measurements taken include flow rate, pressure drop, torque, and rotational speed, as well as velocity and pressure distributions. Experimental results show that the presence of guide vanes can provide a remarkable increase in turbine efficiency.

Experimental Study of a Radial Turbine Using Floating Nozzle for Wave Energy Conversion

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshio Konno ◽  
Yoshihiro Nagata ◽  
Manabu Takao ◽  
Toshiaki Setoguchi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Steady Flow ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Flow Condition ◽  
Radial Flow ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Wave Energy Conversion ◽  
Wells Turbine ◽  
Radial Turbine ◽  
Steady Flow Condition

The objective of this study is to propose a new radial flow turbine for wave energy conversion and to clarify its performance by model testing under steady flow condition. The proposed radial turbine has a rotor blade row for unidirectional airflow and two guide vane rows. The guide vane rows are named ‘floating nozzle’ in the study. The guide vane rows slide in an axial direction and work as nozzle in the turbine alternately for bi-directional airflow, so as to rectify bidirectional airflow and to make uni-directional airflow. The radial flow turbine with a diameter of 500mm has been manufactured and investigated experimentally under steady flow condition generated by a wind tunnel using a piston/cylinder system with a diameter of 1.4m. As a result, it has been found in the study that the peak efficiency of the proposed radial turbine is approximately 57% and the rotational speed of this turbine is considerably lower that that of Wells turbine. Further, the effect of nozzle setting angle on the turbine performance was investigated and clarified in the study.

Performance of the Biplane Wells Turbine

1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. C. Gato ◽  
R. Curran
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Mutual Interference ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Wells Turbine ◽  
Stagger Angle

The paper describes the experimental investigation of the biplane Wells turbine for use on a wave power plant. The performance of the biplane turbine was tested in unidirectional steady air flow by varying the model configurations using solidity, gap-to-chord ratio, and rotor stagger angle. It was found that the gap-to-chord ratio and stagger considerably influenced the performance of the biplane turbine due to the mutual interference between the rotor planes.

scholarly journals Optimal design of air turbines for oscillating water column wave energy systems: A review

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tapas Kumar Das ◽  
Paresh Halder ◽  
Abdus Samad
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Maximum Efficiency ◽  
Oscillating Water Column ◽  
Peak Efficiency ◽  
Wells Turbine ◽  
Impulse Turbine ◽  
Operating Range

Oscillating water column wave energy harvesting system uses pneumatic power to run a turbine and generate power. Both reaction (mainly Wells turbine) and impulse type turbines are tested in oscillating water column system and the performances are investigated. Reaction turbines are easy to install, and the operating range is narrow and possesses higher peak efficiency. On the contrary, impulse turbines have the wider operating range and lower peak efficiency. Some of the key parameters for Wells turbine are solidity, tip clearance, and the hub-to-tip ratio. Significant performance improvement is possible by redesigning the turbines using optimization techniques. Till date, surrogate modeling and an automated optimization library OPAL are commonly used in optimization of oscillating water column air turbines. In this article, various types of oscillating water column turbines are reviewed, and optimization techniques applied to such turbines are discussed. The Wells turbine with guide vane has the maximum efficiency, whereas the axial-impulse turbine with pitch-controlled guide vane has the widest operating range. Turbines with optimized geometry have better overall performance than other turbines.

Time-Domain Models and Wave Energy Converters Performance Assessment

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierpaolo Ricci ◽  
Jean-Baptiste Saulnier ◽  
Anto´nio F. de O. Falca˜o ◽  
M. Teresa Pontes
Keyword(s):  
Differential Equations ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
General Scheme ◽  
Domain Model ◽  
Floating Body ◽  
Storage Device ◽  
Domain Models ◽  
Energy Chain

To evaluate the performance of a Wave Energy Converter (WEC) with realistic Power Take-Off (PTO) configurations, moorings, control systems and other contributions, time-domain models are required to deal with the non-linearities arising from the different elements of the energy chain. Future developers, in order to give a correct estimation of the expected power output of their devices, will have to apply these models and will be asked about the accuracy they can provide, particularly on what concerns the performance of the device in a determined location. A general mathematical outline of this approach was firstly proposed by Cummins by using, under linear assumptions, a classical way of representing the equation of motion of a floating body with a system of integro-differential equations with convolution terms that involve frequency-dependent coefficients. Many methods have been proposed, in literature, to solve this system in the most efficient and accurate way. Some of them relied on a direct numerical integration using standard methods for the solution of Ordinary Differential Equations, while, in turn, others are based on the approximation of the radiation convolution term with a determined number of linear sub-systems or properly chosen transfer functions. This paper presents a general scheme for a simple heaving single-body WEC, whose hydraulic Power Take-Off is coupled to a gas accumulator that serves as a storage device. Different time-domain methods will be used and compared. Particular attention will be paid to the accuracy of the performance calculation of this WPA. It is expected that the results of the simulations provide deeper understanding of the importance of the numerical parameters used in the estimation of the device performance and in this way will constitute an additional suggestion for the choice of a time-domain model for the evaluation of a WPA performance.

scholarly journals The performance of the Mocean M100 wave energy converter described through numerical and physical modelling

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19
Author(s):  
J. Cameron McNatt ◽  
Christopher H. Retzler
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Domain ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Average Power ◽  
Physical Modelling ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Domain Model ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Cost Of Energy

Mocean Energy has designed a 100-kW hinged-raft wave energy converter (WEC), the M100, which has a novel geometry that reduces the cost of energy by improving the ratios of power per size and power per torque. The performance of the M100 is shown through the outputs of frequency-domain and time-domain numerical models, which are compared with those from 1/20th scale wave-tank testing. Results show that for the undamped, frequency-domain model, there are resonant peaks in the response at 6.6 and 9.6 s, corresponding to wavelengths that are 1.9 and 3.7 times longer than the machine. With the inclusion of power-take-off and viscous damping, the power response as a function of frequency shows a broad bandwidth and a hinge flex amplitude of 12-20 degrees per meter of wave amplitude. Comparison between the time-domain model and physical data in a variety of sea states, up to a significant wave height of 4.5 m, show agreements within 10% for average power absorption, which is notable because only simple, nonlinear, numerical models were used. The M100 geometry results in a broad-banded, large amplitude response due to its asymmetric shape, which induces coupling between modes of motion.

Power Take-Off Selection for a U-Shaped OWC Wave Energy Converter

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Romolo ◽  
João C. C. Henriques ◽  
Luís M. C. Gato ◽  
Giovanni Malara ◽  
Valentina Laface ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Domain Model ◽  
Ocean Engineering ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Natural Period ◽  
Air Pocket ◽  
Air Turbine

Abstract The REWEC3 (Resonant Wave Energy Converter) is a fixed oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter (WEC) incorporated in upright breakwaters. The device is composed by a chamber containing a water column in its lower part and an air pocket in its upper part. The air pocket is connected to the atmosphere via a duct hosting a self-rectifying air turbine. In addition, a REWEC3 includes a vertical U-shaped duct for connecting the water column to the open sea (for this reason it is known also as U-OWC). The working principle of the system is quite simple: by the action of the incident waves, the water inside the U-shaped duct is subject to a reciprocating motion, which induces alternately a compression and an expansion of the air pocket. The pressure difference between the air pocket and the atmosphere is used to drive an air turbine coupled to an off-the-shelf electrical generator connected to the grid. The main feature of the REWEC3 is the possibility of tuning the natural period of the water column in order to match a desired wave period through the size of the U-duct. The REWEC3 technology has been theoretically developed by Boccotti, later tested at the natural basin of the Natural Ocean Engineering Laboratory (NOEL, Italy), and finally proved at full scale with REWEC3 prototype built in the Port of Civitavecchia (Rome, Italy). The objective of this paper is to select and optimize a turbine/generator set of a U-shaped OWC installed in breakwaters located in the Mediterranean Sea, such as the Port of Civitavecchia, where the first prototype of REWEC3 has been realized, or the Port of Salerno or Marina delle Grazie of Roccella (Italy). The computations were performed using a time domain model based on the unsteady Bernoulli equation. Based on the time-domain model of the power plant, the following data is computed for the turbines: i) the ideal turbine diameter; ii) the generator feedback control law aiming to maximize the turbine power output for turbine coupled to the REWEC3 device for Mediterranean applications.

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