A Numerical Study on an Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converter with Hyper-Elastic Material

A model different from the traditional WEC, known as flexible wave energy converter (fWEC), is numerically modeled in this paper. The fWEC believed to be more efficient and has a greater range of operation when compared with conventionally rigid WEC. fully coupled fluid–structure interaction (FSI) tool developed for research performed This able accommodate dynamic between membrane structure surrounding fluid. In research, both linear-elastic hyper-elastic materials are examined their use fWEC. fluid flow solved by computational dynamics (CFD) method. deformation within using finite element analysis method (FEA). Both material free surface contribute overall nonlinearity numerical simulation. To tackle problem, robust coupling scheme implemented an advanced library. With tool, deformations can accurately captured. degree these then further examined, allowing effects on output determined. simulation results show that peak four times material. suggests would perform better generate power Additionally, because wide conditions studied, it concluded unlike conventional WECs, efficiency harvesting such not sensitive certain periods. Such findings supported detailed fields captured structural stress–strain