Impact of sloping porous seabed on the efficiency of an OWC against oblique waves

TL;DR

This study investigates how a sloping porous seabed affects the efficiency of oscillating water columns facing oblique waves, revealing that seabed properties significantly influence energy conversion performance.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-domain boundary element model to analyze the impact of seabed slope and porosity on OWC efficiency under oblique wave conditions.

Findings

Seabed slope significantly affects OWC efficiency.

Higher seabed porosity stabilizes resonant frequency.

Optimal seabed parameters enhance wave energy conversion.

Abstract

The study examines the influence of a sloping porous bed on the efficiency of an oscillating water column (OWC) device facing oblique water waves. A vertical, surface piercing, thin plate near a rigid wall approximates the OWC. The system is simulated using a multi-domain boundary element method assuming the linear potential theory. The impact of varying sloping bed structural parameters and influence of the incident wave angle on the performance of the OWC is evaluated and discussed. The significance of this model to act as a breakwater protecting near-shore marine facilities is also highlighted. The OWC efficiency is found to be highly sensitive to the slope of the porous seabed, and seabed porosity is found to stabilize the resonant frequency against changes in water levels. OWCs are found to be more efficient over porous seabeds with higher frictional coefficients. The results indicate optimum values for the parameters governing such a wave energy conversion system that can be used for the design and implementation of the model.