Performance estimation of a two-body wave energy converter for the East Coast of India

Abstract

The study aims to assess the feasibility of harnessing wave energy from the low-energy waves prevalent along the east coast of India, where wave energy converters (WECs) may not produce sufficient power economically. Vishakhapatnam port, located on the east coast, experiences such waves (period, T_p = 5 to 10 s, and wave height, H_s = 0.07 to 2.61 m). This study analyzes the performance of a two-body point absorber WEC and estimates the wave power using the parameters H_s and T_p. The hydrodynamic parameters were assessed in the frequency domain using the boundary element method, while the output power was estimated in the time domain using the open-source code WEC-Sim. The harvested power initially increased with the wave period, peaked at T_p = 7 s and H_s = 2 m, and subsequently decreased. This study highlights the potential of wave energy as a renewable resource for India, given its extensive coastline and untapped wave energy potential. It suggests that green energy firms should explore opportunities in regions abundant with wave energy to promote sustainable energy production and drive innovation in wave energy technology, thereby indicating avenues for future research in this domain.