Assessment of Primary Energy Conversion of a Closed-Circuit OWC Wave Energy Converter

Abstract

Tupperwave is a wave energy device based on the Oscillating-Water-Column (OWC) concept. Unlike a conventional OWC, which creates a bidirectional air flow across the self-rectifying turbine, the Tupperwave device uses rectifying valves to create a smooth unidirectional air flow, which is harnessed by a unidirectional turbine. This paper deals with the development and validation of time-domain numerical models from wave to pneumatic power for the Tupperwave device and the conventional OWC device using the same floating spar buoy structure. The numerical models are built using coupled hydrodynamic and thermodynamic equations. The isentropic assumption is used to describe the thermodynamic processes. A tank testing campaign of the two devices at 1/24th scale is described, and the results are used to validate the numerical models. The capacity of the innovative Tupperwave OWC concept to convert wave energy into useful pneumatic energy to the turbine is assessed and compared to the corresponding conventional OWC.