Power Augmenter Parametric Analysis for OWC Take-Off Performance Enhancement

Oscillating Water Column (OWC) devices are a promising technology for harnessing wave energy, utilizing the movement of seawater induced by waves. OWC systems offer renewable energy solutions with minimal environmental impact. The Power Take-Off (PTO) system, crucial for converting pneumatic power into usable energy like electricity, is central to their functionality. This study investigates using a ducted Savonius turbine as the PTO system in an OWC setup. Experimental tests were conducted on a scaled Savonius turbine to assess the turbine efficiency. A CAD model of the setup was created and imported into a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) environment for detailed fluid dynamic analysis, utilizing the Sliding Mesh combined with the Dynamic Fluid Body Interaction (DFBI) technique to simulate turbine motion. Validation of the CFD model was achieved by comparing numerical results with experimental data. A fifth-order Bell-Metha polynomial profile power augmenter was considered to enhance turbine performance by increasing the rotational speed and reducing resistance. This strategy aims to minimize energy loss and operational disturbances by targeting vortex reduction upstream of the turbine. With the validated setup, power augmenters were introduced and a parametric analysis was performed to assess turbine efficiency, using the coefficients of the Bell-Metha profile as parameters. The results were promising for future development in wave energy conversion technology.