Parametric analysis and performance optimization of a multi-chamber backward bent duct buoy wave energy converter

Abstract

The utilization of multi-chamber wave energy converters (WECs) is crucial for reducing the levelized cost of wave energy and enabling large-scale deployment of WEC systems. This study focuses on a numerical simulation of a multi-chamber backward bent duct buoy (BBDB) converter, examining the impact of key design parameters, including the number of chambers, middle horizontal duct lengths, width distribution, chamber spacing, and buoyancy chamber shapes, on the capture width ratio. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was employed to analyze essential hydrodynamic performance metrics, such as chamber pressure, free surface elevation, and velocity fields. The results demonstrate that increasing the middle horizontal duct length enhances the capture width ratio of the multi-chamber BBDB converter. The semicircular buoyancy chamber exhibits superior performance under most wave conditions, while variations in the number of air chambers and width distribution have limited impact on the capture width ratio. This research provides valuable insights into the design optimization of multi-chamber BBDB converters.