Martinez Flores, A.; Medina Rodríguez, A.A.; Mendoza, E.; Silva, R. Improving the Amount of Captured Energy of a Point-Absorber WEC on the Mexican Coast. Energies2024, 17, 1755.
Martinez Flores, A.; Medina Rodríguez, A.A.; Mendoza, E.; Silva, R. Improving the Amount of Captured Energy of a Point-Absorber WEC on the Mexican Coast. Energies 2024, 17, 1755.
Martinez Flores, A.; Medina Rodríguez, A.A.; Mendoza, E.; Silva, R. Improving the Amount of Captured Energy of a Point-Absorber WEC on the Mexican Coast. Energies2024, 17, 1755.
Martinez Flores, A.; Medina Rodríguez, A.A.; Mendoza, E.; Silva, R. Improving the Amount of Captured Energy of a Point-Absorber WEC on the Mexican Coast. Energies 2024, 17, 1755.
Abstract
The wave energy converter (WEC) technology constantly develops new designs and models. To encourage its development within the energy sector, research is required to improve current designs and create durable and effective devices. However, it is also crucial to investigate the suitability of a WEC to a site-specific sea condition as this can impact its optimal power absorption and constructability. This study evaluates and compares the efficiency of a heaving buoy with varied geometries in one of the most energetic places along the Mexican coast. A statistical analysis of the wave climate on the coast of Ensenada during the last 42 years is performed to define the conditions to which the device is subjected. The location of the WEC in shallow waters is chosen using a computational model which solves the modified mild slope equation in its elliptic shape. The heaving buoy floater is studied using three distinct geometries: a semi-sphere, a cylinder, and a proposed rounded semi-rectangle. The hydrodynamic response of the three geometries is then analysed in the frequency and time domain using ANSYS AQWA. The hydrodynamic study involves the assessment of the floating body dynamics, exerted forces, the power absorbed as well as the suitability of the proposed power take-off (PTO) system. Findings reveal that the proposed geometry absorbs the most energy, with an annual power of 135.11 MW, and that the transmission PTO design is appropriate for this type of technology.
Keywords
Wave energy converter, heaving buoy, mild slope equation, hydrodynamic response, energy absorption.
Subject
Engineering, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
