Abstract
Experimental studies were conducted on a trapezoidal pendulum wave energy converter in regular waves. To obtain the incident wave height, the analytical method (AM) was used to separate the incident and reflected waves propagating in a wave flume by analysing wave records measured at two locations. The response amplitude operator (RAO), primary conversion efficiency and the total conversion efficiency of the wave energy converter were studied; furthermore, the power take-off damping coefficients corresponding to the load resistances in the experiment were also obtained. The findings demonstrate that the natural period for a pendulum wave energy converter is relatively large. A lower load resistance gives rise to a larger damping coefficient. The model shows relatively higher wave energy conversion efficiency in the range of 1.0–1.2 s for the incident wave period. The maximum primary conversion efficiency achieved was 55.5%, and the maximum overall conversion efficiency was 39.4%.
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The research was financially supported by the Special Fund for Marine Renewable Energy of the Ministry of Finance of China (Grant No. GD2010ZC02).
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Wang, Dj., Qiu, Sq. & Ye, Jw. An experimental study on a trapezoidal pendulum wave energy converter in regular waves. China Ocean Eng 29, 623–632 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13344-015-0044-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13344-015-0044-9