Devolder, Brecht

Ghent University Academic Bibliography

Marine renewable energy productionClimate change is a fact. Summers become warmer and winters tend to becolder but also sea level rise and superstorms are consequences we arefacing more often. Governments are changing their policies to addressclimate change. One measure is to invest in renewable energy resources ofwhich solar and wind energy are widely known. Wind energy has movedfrom onshore to offshore up to innovative floating wind turbines. Over thelast year, coastal and offshore structures became more complex towithstand the increasing wave loading due to climate change. The fact that waves exert a large load onstructures triggered the question: can we extract energy from waves to produce electricity? This questioninitialised the research into wave energy as a part of marine renewable energy production.Wave energy from waves is absorbed by Wave Energy Converters (WECs). There are numerous device typesavailable and the choice is based on the location, geometry, mooring type and operating method. In thisresearch, we focus on point absorber WECs which are floating devices producing energy by their motionunder wave loading. In order to extract a considerable amount of wave power at a location, multiple WECs arearranged in arrays using a particular geometrical configuration. Interactions between the individual WECsaffect the overall power production of the array. A WEC responds under incident waves and starts moving insix degrees of freedom. Consequently, the WEC’s motion leads to the generation of small waves, calledradiated waves. Additionally, the presence of a WEC disturbs the incoming waves and both reflected anddiffracted wave fields are present. The total wave field around a WEC is thus a combination of incoming,radiated, reflected and diffracted waves. This results into zones with higher or lower wave elevationscompared to the incident wave field. One should thus avoid that one WEC is positioned in the wake region ofanother WEC. By arranging the individual WECs positioned in zones with higher wave elevations, the energyextraction is significantly higher. In addition to these near field effects, a WEC-array also influences the waveclimate further away (far field effects). The wave height reduction behind an entire WEC-array affects otherusers in the sea, the environment or even the coastline. If such a WEC-array is installed close to the shoreline,it acts as a coastal defence system by reducing the wave loading on beaches for example.In order to answer fundamental questions on WEC-array design, we use a numerical wave tank (NWT)implemented in the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) toolbox OpenFOAM. CFD solves the most advancedequations representing the physics with a very high accuracy. Over the last three years, we have developedenhanced prediction tools for wave modelling and efficient fluid-structure interaction simulations in a NWT. Themethods are validated by using experimental data obtained in a physical wave flume or basin. We not onlyperformed simulations of a single WEC but also, for the first time ever, an array consisting of 2, 5 and up to 9WECs. With this research, we open up the possibilities for numerical simulations of any kind of floatingstructure installed in any sea state.Author: Brecht Devolder. Brecht Devolder is a PhD researcher at Ghent University and KU Leuven in thedepartment of civil engineering (coastal engineering research group). He focuses on computer simulations ofwater waves and their interaction with (floating) structures installed in the ocean or sea.Under the supervision of Peter Troch (UGent) and Pieter Rauwoens (KU Leuven Campus Brugge)55KU LEUVEN KU LEUVEN kulakCampus Brugget4V./! f>E V E // sXf%*i VOimmb>6ft!«1'nd zi HsiTKJThe Reviewer PlusWant to discover more about our research?A more extended version of this magazine can be found on www.kuleuven-kulak.be/thereviewerplus-\\V,1A/3t•*V2 I5=v-F.«„t• r _:=!i! ZE !*11'r f -VoorwoordThe editorial team:Sofie Deceur, Hans Deckmyn,Lies Declercq, Sofie DeSmyter, Henri De Vroey,Hannelore Franck, PetraHuyst, Gertrude Kignelman,Joepie Platteau and Josefine-Charlotte SoenPhotos: Rob Stevens,Josefine-Charlotte SoenV.U.: Piet Desmet,E. Sabbelaan 53, 8500 KortrijkThe ReviewerEen nieuw format, een nieuw geluid.Met het beste wat KU Leuven aan onderzoek te bieden heeftop Campus Kulak Kortrijk en Campus Brugge.Creatief, eigenzinnig en lateraal.Meertalig, transdiciplinair en internationaal.Mosaïque multicolore de projets de recherche.Au croisement des sciences humaines, des sciences exactes et dessciences biomédicales.Evocation représentative de nos différents labos de recherche.Combinaison équilibrée de la recherche fondamentale et appliquée.Alternance rythmée de jeunes talents et de chercheurs réputés.An essential part of our research-driven organisation.Bringing together researchers from more than 30 different countries.Fully embedded in the KU Leuven network of excellence.With growing interactions within the Golden Triangle Leuven-London-Paris.Discover the best we have to offer!Enjoy!Piet Desmetvicerector KU Leuven Campus Kulak en academisch beheerder Campus Brugge11L. oSt a 9- •.ssa*5»g; jleiu1kg

Marine renewable energy production

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Marine renewable energy production

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Ghent University Academic Bibliography

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