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Fluid Structure Interactions Research Group. Interactions of fluid and soft bodied structures with applications to wave energy device Linghan Li – ll18g11@soton.ac.uk – Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, UK Supervisors – Dr M. Tan and Dr J. Blake.
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Fluid Structure Interactions Research Group Interactions of fluid and soft bodied structures with applications to wave energy device Linghan Li – ll18g11@soton.ac.uk – Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, UK Supervisors – Dr M. Tan and Dr J. Blake Current typical devices (direct drive and hydraulic system) in operation • Introduction • Considered as a source of renewable energy, wave is a resource featuring high variability at all time scales. • Furthermore wave climate also changes significantly from place to place and those wave energy converter are very often tuned to suit these irregularly wave motion at the project site. • Structure with large deformation is adopted in investigations in order to suit violent wave motion and improve wave energy absorbed ratio and electrical power generated efficiency. • Anaconda wave energy converter (left) • Lilypad twin membrane wave energy converter (right) • Motivation • In order for wave energy conversion to be a commercially viable technology, Estimating wave energy converter’s power output at a potential installation site and avoiding occurrence of damage caused by dynamic loads on the structuresmust be taken into consideration. • Accurate numerical simulation of power output and risk assessment can bring considerable cost reduction in both of investment and maintenance Picture 1 oscillating water column Picture 2 Archimedes wave swing (AWS) Picture 3 Pelamis wave energy converter Picture 3.1 PTO of Pelamis Picture 4 power capture widths versus wave frequency of Pelamis • Potential improvement • Flexible structure make it possible to improve power capture ratio and electrical power generated ratio. • Power capture ratio: power absorbed curve (picture 4) will trend to more gentle which means peak value may decrease but more power will be captured if balance structure stiffness and softness. • Power generated: e.g. buoyancy force and pressure inside (AWS) will decrease/ increase due to volume changes hence accelerate hood motion. • Further work • This research area is fresh to the author, the methodology for this project will not be fully planned at the moment while will be developed as the project progresses. • Aim & Objectives • The studies carried out in this project aim to improve wave energy device performance by developing a numerical method with the help of open source software • To assess the different types of wave energy converters and identify their pros and cons. • To simulate these applications by using OpenFoam as an effective way to understand the numerical methodology. • To identify, from the study, where design improvements could be made. • To develop the system commercially. FSI Away Day 2012