Created: Natallia Y.

Sergiienko
Date: 04/06/2018

Array of 3-tether wave energy converters

Based on the articles:

Wu, G. X. "The interaction of water waves with a group of submerged spheres." Applied Ocean Research 17.3
(1995): 165-184.
Scruggs, J. T., et al. "Optimal causal control of a wave energy converter in a random sea." Applied Ocean
Research 42 (2013): 1-15.
Flavia, F. F., et al. “On the numerical modelling and optimisation of a bottom-referenced heave-buoy array of
wave energy converters”. International Journal of Marine Energy 19 (2017): 1-15.
 Created: Natallia Y. Sergiienko
Date: 04/06/2018

Annual average power output based on frequency-domain calculations

AAP
Wave climate
(Annual
= (wave statistics at a given location) x Power matrix
average
power)

4-D probability matrix:

- Significant wave height
- Peak wave frequency
- Dominant wave direction
105
7 5 8
Significant wave height (m)

Significant wave height (m)

8
6
4 6

Probability, %
5 6

Power, W
4 3 4
4
3
2 2 2 2

1
0 1
5 10 15 6 8 10 12 14 16
Peak wave period (s) Peak wave period (s)
N 10
Significant wave height (m)

9
8
7
15% 6
5% 10%
W E 5
4
3
2
1
S 0
 Created: Natallia Y. Sergiienko
Date: 04/06/2018

To calculate power matrix for the array:

105
5 8
Significant wave height (m)

4 6

Power, W
3 4

2 2

1
6 8 10 12 14 16
Peak wave period (s)

Wave spectrum S( ) 10 5 Power function P( )

8 8

6 6
Wave spectrum

Power, W/m 2

4 4

2 2

0 0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Frequency, rad/s Frequency, rad/s
 Created: Natallia Y. Sergiienko
Date: 04/06/2018

Main Function: arrayBuoyPlacement.m

Nested functions:
 arraySubmergedSphereParfor.m – uses parfor loop through the number of frequencies.
 spectrum_PMw.m

Syntax:
[Parray_AAP, ParrayBuoy_AAP] =
arrayBuoyPlacement (array, siteOpts, buoy);

Description:
arrayBuoyPlacement.m calculates the annual average power output of the array of 3-tether WECs.

Input arguments:
 array – structure
o array.radius – vector. Vector of sphere radii.
o array.number – scalar. Number of buoys in the array.
o array.sphereCoordinate – matrix (3xn). Buoy coordinates in x, y, z (z is up on the water
surface).
 siteOpts – structure
o siteOpts.submergenceDepth – scalar. Specifies the submergence depth, distance from the top
of the body to the water surface
o siteOpts.waterDepth – scalar. Specifies the water depth.
o siteOpts.waveFreqs – vector. Specifies a range of wave frequencies.
o siteOpts.location – structure. Specifies wave climate (90%) at a particular location (supports
Sydney, Perth and Adelaide for now).
 buoy – structure. Specifies parameters of each buoy radius including size, mass and power take-off
parameters.

Output arguments:
 Parray_AAP – scalar, real. Annual average power output of the array.
 ParrayBuoy_AAP – array (nx1). Annual average power output of each buoy.