MODELLING STUDY OF WAVE ENERGY HARNESSING PORT STRUCTURES

摘要

The exploitation of the energy of waves attacking coastal structures, in parallel to the operation of the struc tures, primarily constructed for harbour or coastal protec tion, is the motive of this paper. The structures may be either a system of hollow breakwaters or a system of sea walls along a waterfront allowing overtopping of the wave energy. Both types of structures are designed to harness the maximum possible part of the incident wave energy. The study is based on the development and application of two numerical models: a 1DV and a 2DH model. The 1DV model reveals that the optimal height of the overtopped crest, above the Mean Sea Level (MSL), and the diameter of the out-flowing pipe depend on the incident wave height. The width of the structure influences mainly the power variability. The 2DH model simulates the wave propagation in a coastal area and the incidence of the wave to a small central part of a long rectilinear breakwa ter, operating as a power production unit. The parts of the breakwater left and right of the central, "wave harness ing" one, may be designed as fully radiating or fully re flecting. The 2DH model was applied for various wave incidence angles, to test maximum power production.