Design Optimization of the U-Type Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converters

Design Optimization of the U-Type Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converters

Considering the medium wave resources in Taiwan, the oscillating water column (OWC) shows several advantages upon implementation. The installation and maintenance cost of an OWC is relatively lower, and the concrete structure is more survivable under seawater impact and erosion. Survivability is a primary concern because Taiwan suffers from extreme weather during typhoon season, and the OWC structure can withstand harsh conditions. This paper focuses on the design optimization of the U-OWC by establishing a general design procedure to achieve optimal energy capture performance. The optimal geometrical design is critical for implementing Taiwan's OWC wave power system. We establish the optimal chamber design procedure through a two-dimensional numerical simulation and artificial neural network (ANN) approach. Finally, the performance of the optimal design is compared with the design of a previous paper. The result shows that the capture factor of the optimized chamber geometry of U-OWC is 21.9˜ higher than the previous design.