Study On Fluid Solid Coupling Characteristic Of The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter With3Tubes

In order to solve the problem of energy shortage, the technology in the field of waveenergy convertion is improving and the devices are diversified. Among all kind of waveenergy converters, the Pelamis wave energy converter from the company of OceanPower Delivery Ltd. is considered as the most potential device because of its highsurvivability and efficiency. This topic set the simplified model of Pelamis as the objectof research, and construct the numerical wave tank with2nd-order Stokes equation forthe simulation of the coupling effect of fluid-solid analysis for3-floaters device. Theparameters of floaters for energy capturing are optimized in order to get the relationsbetween energy and damping coefficients and reveal the capture mechanism of this kindof device, finally the suggestions are provided for the designing of this ocean waveenergy converter.This topic construct the numerical wave tank based on the2nd-order Stokes model withthe method of source-generating by UDF function with Fluent. The2nd-order Stokesfunction is added to the wave-generating zone and sponge absorbing layer is used toavoid the numerical wave reflecting. The wave conditions are created as theenvironment for the fluid-solid analysis of the simplified model of Pelamis wave energyconverter.The hydrodynamic equations was established for the single floater, and the2nd-orderwave force was described simply based on the linear potential theory. The laws of theadded mass and damping coefficients are calculated by the software of Fluent indifferent modalities.The characteristic of motion and energy-capture was studied based on the second kindLagrange’s equation of the3-floater wave energy converter under different rotary inertiaand damping coefficients. The characteristic of angular velocity-floater coefficients andenergy capture-floater coefficients are calculated by the software of Fluent. The resultsshow that the energy captured by the model reaches its maximum value when therotational inertia reaches the maximum value, but the energy captured when the modelis on resonance is close to this value. Considering the manufacturing facts, the Pelamis works on resonance is the best state it works.