Fluid Structure Interactions Research Group Interactions of fluid

Fluid Structure Interactions Research Group Interactions of fluid and soft bodied structures with applications to wave energy device Linghan Li – ll 18 g 11@soton. ac. uk – Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, UK Supervisors – Dr M. Tan and Dr J. Blake Introduction • Considered as a source of renewable energy, wave is a resource featuring high variability at all time scales. Current typical devices (direct drive and hydraulic system) in operation • 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. Picture 1 oscillating water column Picture 3 Pelamis wave energy converter Picture 2 Archimedes wave swing (AWS) Picture 3. 1 PTO of Pelamis 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 structures must 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 4 power capture widths versus wave frequency of Pelamis Potential improvement 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 • 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. their pros and cons. • To simulate these applications by using Open. Foam as an effective way to understand the numerical methodology. • To identify, from the study, where design improvements could be made. • 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. • To develop the system commercially. FSI Away Day 2012