Author(s)

A Brito-Melo & A J N A Sarmento

Abstract

A linear numerical model of the Boundary Element Method type has been applied in the numerical modelling of the oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter. The code was extended from a 3D conventional radiation-diffraction code originally developed for the hydrodynamic study of floating bodies in the frequency domain and has been adapted for generic configurations of OWC power plants using the theory of pressure distributions. This paper illustrates the application of the numerical model to the OWC pilot plant on the Island of Pico/Azores, including the discretization of the natural gully where the device is installed and to an OWC plant integrated in a semi-infinite vertical caisson breakwater is presented.

Keywords