Numerical analysis of performance of an oscillating water column wave energy converter inserted into a composite breakwater with rubble mound foundation

• Published in: Ocean engineering 2023-06, Vol.278, p.114421, Article 114421
• Main Authors: Teixeira, Paulo R.F., Didier, Eric
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Composite breakwaters; Oscillating water column; RANS-VoF; Rubble mound foundation; Wave energy
• ISSN: 0029-8018; 1873-5258
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2023.114421

In this study, performance of an oscillating water column wave energy converter inserted into a hypothetical composite breakwater with rubble mound foundation located at the southern Brazilian coast is analyzed. The FLUENT® numerical model, which is based on the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations, is used in 2D numerical simulations by adopting the Volume of Fluid method to consider the two-phase flow (water and air). The influence of the rubble mound foundation on the pneumatic power, the run-up/down, the free surface elevation inside the chamber, and the energy balance for different incident waves are investigated. The rubble mound foundation of the composite breakwater slightly affected hydrodynamics; however, it reduced significantly the pneumatic power of the device from 7 to 15% comparing with that obtained to a vertical breakwater founded on an impermeable foundation. •Performance of OWC device inserted into a composite breakwater is investigated.•Porous and impermeable foundation for incident regular and random waves are analyzed.•Fluid flow behaviors for impermeable and porous foundations are very similar.•The presence of the porous foundation diminishes from 7 to 15% the extracted energy.