With an increasing emphasis on renewable energy resources, wave power
technology is fast becoming a realistic solution. However, the recent tsunami
in Japan was a harsh reminder of the ferocity of the ocean. It is known that
tsunamis are nearly undetectable in the open ocean but as the wave approaches
the shore its energy is compressed creating large destructive waves. The
question posed here is whether a nearshore wave energy converter (WEC) could
withstand the force of an incoming tsunami. The analytical 3D model of Renzi &
Dias (2012) developed within the framework of a linear theory and applied to an
array of fixed plates is used. The time derivative of the velocity potential
allows the hydrodynamic force to be calculated.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, 16 references. Paper presented at the
ISOPE-2012 conference. Other author's papers can be downloaded at
http://www.lama.univ-savoie.fr/~dutykh
