2017 Volume 45 Issue 4 Pages 222-228
The integration of wave energy conversion devices into an existing or new coastal caisson breakwater can reduce the power generation cost. Moreover, this integrated breakwater can improve the wave resisting stability and performance as a breakwater by absorbing the wave energy. Therefore, the caisson breakwater wave power system can be treated as one of the most effective techniques to improve the power scenario in the ocean energy rich countries. In this system, an oscillating water column (OWC) due to the wave motion drives the air column in the air chamber, and results in an alternating air-flow. An air turbine for this alternating airflow is used to convert the pneumatic energy into the mechanical energy. The McCormick counter-rotating turbine for wave energy conversion has been proposed and tested so far. Although the average efficiency of this turbine is approximately 0.3, the present study aims to investigate the possible reasons of performance deterioration by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analyses.
