Abstract
A floating marine facility, such as a buoy, plays an important role as an aid to navigation for maritime safety. Due to development of the wave energy conversion system, installing an oscillating water column (OWC) with rechargeable batteries on a buoy has become the trend. In order to extend the battery replacement cycle, the battery voltage must be kept within a certain range by improving the energy conversion efficiency. This paper suggests using inlet geometry modification of the OWC to increase vertical displacement. Two types of inlet geometry, the trumpet type and the cylindrical type, are designed and compared with each other through a scale model experiment in a 2-D wave tank, as well as through a full-scale experiment at sea. The results show that the trumpet-shaped inlet of the OWC generates more electric power than does the cylindrical-shaped inlet.
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Jin-Seok Oh is a professor in the College of Maritime Science, Korea Maritime University. He received his B.E. in Marine Engineering from Korea Maritime University in 1983. He worked for Zodiac Maritime (UK) as an engine officer for 4 years. He worked at the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) as a researcher from 1989 to 1992, and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Marine Engineering from Korea Maritime University. He studied Design of Energy System in Kyushu University from 2006 to 2009, and received his Ph.D. in Design of Energy System from Kyushu University in 2009. His research interests have led him to pursue and combine several areas: smart grid control algorithms, hybrid generation systems, wave energy conversion buoys, and energy-saving systems for ships.
Sung-Hun Han received his B.E. in Marine Engineering from Korea Maritime University in 2007. He worked for Hyundai Merchant Marine as an engine officer from 2007 to 2010. He is pursuing his Master’s degree in the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Korea Maritime University.
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Oh, JS., Han, SH. Inlet geometry effect of wave energy conversion system. J Mech Sci Technol 26, 2793–2798 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0726-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0726-7