Air turbine choice and optimization for floating oscillating-water-column wave energy converter

作     者：Falcao, Antonio F. O. Henriques, Joao C. C. Gato, Luis M. C. Gomes, Rui P. F. 

作者机构：Univ Lisbon Inst Super Tecn IDMEC P-1049001 Lisbon Portugal 

出 版 物：《OCEAN ENGINEERING》 (Ocean Eng.)

年 卷 期：2014年第75卷第Jan.1期

页      面：148-156页

核心收录：

学科分类：07[理学] 0707[理学-海洋科学] 0824[工学-船舶与海洋工程] 0814[工学-土木工程] 

基　　金：Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through LAETA/IDMEC Offshore Test Station, KIC InnoEnergy, European Institute of Technology MIT-Portugal [SFRH/BD/35295/2007] PTDC/EME-MFE/103524/2008 PTDC/EME-MFE/111763/2009 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [PTDC/EME-MFE/111763/2009] Funding Source: FCT 

主　　题：Wave energy Oscillating water column Spar buoy Air turbines Wells turbine Biradial turbine 

摘      要：The OWC spar-buoy is an axisymmetric device consisting basically of a (relatively long) submerged vertical tail tube open at both ends and fixed to a floater that moves essentially in heave. The air flow displaced by the motion of the OWC inner free-surface, relative to the buoy, drives an air turbine. Here, numerical procedures and results are presented for the power output from turbines of different sizes equipping a given OWC spar-buoy in a given offshore wave climate, the rotational speed (maximum allowable blade tip speed of 180 m/s) being optimized for each of the sea states that, together with their frequency of occurrence, characterize the wave climate. Single- and multi-stage Wells turbines and the new biradial impulse turbine were chosen for comparisons. Non-dimensional performance curves of the turbines were obtained from model testing. A stochastic approach was adopted for the hydrodynamic modelling, with air compressibility effects accounted for in a linearized way. The results for the overall performance show that a single-stage Wells turbine would not be a good choice, several stages being required for acceptable performance. The biradial turbine appears as the best choice in terms of performance, with the advantage of substantially smaller rotor diameter. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.