ABSTRACT
Oscillating water column (OWC) is a wave energy converter. In this study, a numerical approach is used to test the hydrodynamic efficiency of a generic fixed OWC by changing various design parameters. The numerical simulation runs in a 3-D numerical wave tank (NWT) based on CFD ANSYS FLUENT software to achieve this target. The inflow method generates the desired nonlinear second-order Stokes waves at the inlet. VOF method uses to discretize the NS equation. The efficiency of the OWC has been obtained by changing the ratio of the orifice and relative opening with a single wave height. It has been observed that the increase of relative opening hydrodynamic efficiency increases. It has also been observed that hydrodynamic efficiency initially increases between the orifice ratio 0.4% and 0.8% and then decreases between 0.8% and 1.3% for all consideration of relative opening (α). The computational study helps better understand the intricate physics of the OWC in which experimental work cannot entirely possible. It gives the preliminary design of the OWC to extract renewable wave energy from the ocean surface wave. The computational study based on second-order Stokes wave theory at an intermediate water depth gives a new discussion area.
