Journal of Coastal Research SI 113 621-625 Charlotte, North Carolina 2024

Hydrodynamic Analysis of an Oscillating Water Column Wave

Energy Converter
Nagi Abdussamie†*, Thiban Subramaniam‡, Aiyad Gannan†, and Wesam Rohouma†
† ‡
College of Engineering and Technology Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics
University of Doha for Science and Technology Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania
Doha, Qatar Launceston, Tasmania, Australia www.cerf-jcr.org

ABSTRACT

Abdussamie, N., Subramaniam, T., Gannan, A., and Rohouma W., 2024. Hydrodynamic analysis of an
oscillating water column wave energy converter. In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.),
Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha,
Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 621-625. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN
0749-0208.
www.JCRonline.org
Wave energy offers a promising renewable energy source with added benefits for coastal protection. This
study investigates the hydrodynamic performance of a fixed Oscillating Water Column (OWC) Wave Energy
Converter (WEC) under different wave conditions, focusing on wave period, wave height, and device draft.
The obtained results show that peak hydrodynamic efficiency occurs at the natural frequency of the water
column and decreases with increased draft due to reduced water mass in the OWC chamber. This highlights
the need for thorough evaluation of site-specific wave conditions for optimal power extraction. These findings
are crucial for the geometry optimization and site selection of fixed OWC devices, contributing to the
advancement of wave energy conversion technology and sustainable energy solutions.

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Renewable energy, wave energy, model testing, oscillating water column.

INTRODUCTION further investigations.

For decades, the world has relied heavily on fossil fuels to The objective of the present study is to investigate the
meet the vast energy requirements of an expanding population. hydrodynamic efficiency of a fixed OWC device under varying
However, recent global events on sustainability have highlighted drafts and different wave conditions, including regular and
the risks associated with the use of fossil fuels for energy irregular waves. By examining the influence of wave period,
generation, including increased costs, depleting reserves, wave height, and device draft on the OWC's performance, this
significant environmental impacts, and the acceleration of research aims to enhance the understanding and optimization of
climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions. In response, OWC devices, contributing to the advancement of wave energy
there has been a growing focus on developing the renewable conversion technology.
energy industry. Marine and offshore renewable energies hold
significant potential for sustainable energy generation and METHODS
coastal protection. Harnessing the power of waves, tides, and Theory
offshore wind can provide a substantial portion of the world's In the context of hydrodynamics, when a small amplitude
energy needs while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. surface wave interacts with an OWC WEC, the overall power
Wave energy converters (WECs) have been a topic of interest extraction efficiency (ξ) can be estimated as:
in the renewable energy sector since the 1980s, with oscillating
water columns (OWCs) being a consistent design. OWC 𝑃
development began in Japan as early as the 1940s, with Kaimei, 𝜉 (1)
𝑃
the first large-scale WEC, being deployed at sea in 1978,
designed by Yoshio Masuda (Falcão & Henriques, 2016). As the The mean absorbed pneumatic power Pout per unit width
global energy sector moves away from non-renewables, there is (W/m) is estimated by integrating the product of air pressure
a trend towards the commercial implementation of various measured in the OWC chamber P(t) and the normal vertical
renewable devices to mitigate climate change. However, only a velocity of free surface inside the OWC chamber V(t) over the
handful of OWC devices have been constructed and installed for duration of ts
commercial use worldwide (Singh et al., 2020), primarily due to
a limited understanding of their hydrodynamics, necessitating
𝐿
____________________ 𝑃 𝑃 𝑡 ∙ 𝑉 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 (2)
DOI: 10.2112/JCR-SI113-123.1 received 23 June 2024; accepted in 𝑡
revision 30 July 2024.
*Corresponding author: nagi.abdussamie@udst.edu.qa
©
Coastal Education and Research Foundation, Inc. 2024
where L is the OWC chamber length.

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 Abdussamie et al.
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As the air velocity V(t) is estimated from the inner free surface
elevation of OWC, the effect of air compressibility is ignored.
Based on wave theory, the average energy flux per unit width in
the incident wave is given by (DNV, 2010):

1
𝑃 𝜌𝑔𝐻 𝐶 (3)
8

where ρ is the water density, g is the gravitational acceleration,

H is the incident wave height and Cg is the group velocity of the
incident wave.
For a moonpool with constant cross-sectional area Aowc the
natural period in heave is given by (DNV, 2010):
ℎ 𝜅 𝐴 (4)
𝑇 2𝜋
𝑔
Figure 1. The tested OWC model.
where howc is the height of the water column. The factor κ
depends on the cross-sectional shape of the water column (δ =
breadth/length). The factor κ for a general rectangular moonpool
(for 0 < δ < 1) is given by (Molin, 2001) :

√𝛿 1
𝜅 sinh 𝛿 𝛿 sinh 𝛿 𝛿 𝛿
𝜋 3 (5)
1
1 𝛿 1 𝛿
3

The motion of the water in the OWC chamber has a resonance

at a wave frequency corresponding to the eigenfrequency of a
vertically oscillating water column. Figure 2. A profile view showing model’s drafts (dimensions are in mm)
[not to scale].
Physical Model Testing
The data and results generated in this investigation were
derived experimentally by tank testing of a scaled model OWC The wave test conditions were based on real sites in the east
device. Tank testing provides a faster and more repeatable coast of Australia such as Crowdy Head, Eden, Byron Bay and
method compared to at sea testing and can emulate scaled Sydney as shown in Figure 3. The full-scale significant wave
extreme events to better understand and mitigate their effects. height, Hs varies from 1.38 m to 1.96 m and the associated peak
This investigation tested a 1:36 scaled model OWC at constant period, Tp varies from 7.31 s to 8.45 s. The JONSWAP spectrum
water depth and a range of wave periods and wave heights. with a peak shape parameter γ=1.0, which is identical to the
Several runs per wave sea state were undertaken to allow the Pierson–Moskowitz (PM) spectrum, was used to synthesize
generation of a reliable average hydrodynamic efficiency. short-time wave trains. The PM spectrum is commonly adopted
formulation of the fully developed wind-generated wave
OWC Model and Test Matrix elevation spectrum for different offshore locations. Scaled wave
The OWC device used in this experimental study is illustrated heights (H) ranged from 38 mm – 54 mm with peak periods
below in Figure 1. A model scale of 1:36 was ultimately decided ranged from 1.22 s – 1.41 s were tested. The test conditions for
based on the available water depth at the testing facility (800 the selected sea states are given in Table 1.
mm) resulting in a full-scale water depth of 28.8 m.
The OWC model was constructed from 7 mm thick wood ply, Testing Facility
and featured an open bottom flume chamber, bounded by a full- The model testing campaign was conducted at the Australian
length back wall and two fully enclosed side chambers. The total Maritime College Model Test Basin (AMC MTB). The basin is
draft from the device base is 408 mm. The interior dimensions 35 m long, 12 m wide and capable of water depth of up to 1 m.
of the chamber at the designed howc of 100 mm are measured as 265 The basin utilizes a wave maker consisting of 16 computer-
mm x 252 mm x 222 mm, for the width, length, and height controlled paddles (piston-type) to produce both regular and
respectively. As illustrated in Figure 2, the front wall draft (howc) irregular waves. Figure 4 illustrated the model setup
of the OWC was varied during the experimental testing program arrangement in which five wave probes (denoted as WP) and an
from 75 mm to 175 with a 25 mm increment to study its effect air pressure sensor (denoted as APS) were used in the
on the device performance. experiments. Data was acquired at a sampling frequency of 200
Hz for approximately 40 s – 60 s for each run.

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 Hydrodynamic Analysis of an Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converter
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mm and T = 1 s (H ≈ 2 x maximum significant wave height

whilst T ≈ Towc). The time series data recorded by wave
probes and air pressure sensor was analyzed and their
repeatability was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively
with a maximum coefficient of variation value was found to
be less than 5%. The 4th order Butterworth low pass filter was
used to denoise the signal of wave elevation measured inside
the OWC chamber (WP 5) to produce a smooth V(t) signal
required to estimate the mean absorbed pneumatic power
(Pout) using equation (2). The effect of cutoff frequency of 10
Hz and 5 Hz of the filter on the main features of wave data
was tested, and the choice of 5 Hz deemed acceptable.

RESULTS
Figure 5 shows the time history of a regular wave test (H =
48.3 mm, and T = 0.93 s). This condition has achieved the
Figure 3. Satellite view of test sites. highest efficiency of approximately 46.1%. For irregular
wave tests, Figure 6 shows a short time history (35 s – 50 s)
associated with sea state 1 (Hs = 38 mm, and Tp = 1.335 s) at
howc = 175 mm.
Table 1. Wave conditions.

[mm]
Full-scale Model-scale (1:36)
Sea state
Hs (m) Tp (s) Hs (m) Tp (s)
1 1.38 8.01 0.038 1.335
[mm]

2 1.79 7.31 0.050 1.22

3 1.84 8.45 0.051 1.41
V [mm/s]

4 1.96 8.34 0.054 1.39

Pa [Pa]
Po [W/m]

Figure 5. Time history for a regular wave test (H = 48.3 mm,

and T = 0.93 s) at howc = 100 mm. From top to bottom: wave
elevation at WP 4; WP 5; OWC velocity; OWC air pressure; and
output power.

Compiling all data obtained from regular wave tests at the

designed howc of 100 mm, the WEC’s efficiency as per equation
Figure 4. Plan view of experimental layout. Dimensions are in (1) was estimated and plotted against the normalized period
mm [not to scale]. (T/Towc), as shown in Figure 7.
To study the effect of howc on the WEC’s efficienty, sea state 1
was tested at different howc values (refer to Figure 2) and the
Experimental Data Analysis obtained results are summarized in Table 2. The relative change
The reliability of experimental data was assessed through in the OWC WEC’s efficincey for cases 2-5 due to reducing howc
repeatability tests. As an example, three repeatability tests from 175 mm (case 1) to 75 mm (case 5) is illustrated in Figure
were conducted for a large steep regular wave with H = 100 8.

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 Abdussamie et al.
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40
[mm]

20
0
-20
-40
35 40 45 50
20
[mm]

Relative change [%]

-20
35 40 45 50
V [mm/s]

50
0
-50
35 40 45 50
200
Pa [Pa]

0
-200
35 40 45 50
4
Po [W/m]

0
35 40 45 50
Time [s]
Figure 6. Time history of for sea state 1 (Hs = 38 mm, and Tp = Figure 8. The effect of howc on OWC WEC’s efficiency for sea state 1
1.335 s) at howc = 175 mm. From top to bottom: wave elevation Hs = 38 mm, and Tp = 1.335 s).
at WP 4; WP 5; OWC velocity; OWC air pressure; and output
power.
DISCUSSION
The representative time history data for regular and
irregular wave tests (Figures 5 and 6) provide insights into the
OWC's performance under varying wave conditions. One can
notice the difference in the power output time history between
regular and irregular cases with later being more realistic in
terms of power variation over time. For regular wave cases,
approximately fully-developed waves (steady-state) were
Efficiency [%]

used for power averaging and efficiency estimation. The

highest efficiency of the OWC at howc = 100 mm was
observed during regular wave tests at a wave period of 0.93 s
(Figure 5), achieving approximately 46.1% efficiency. This
peak efficiency aligns with the device's natural period range,
confirming the importance of resonance in maximizing
energy capture (refer to Table 2 for Towc values).
Figure 7 illustrates the relationship between efficiency and
the normalized period (T/Towc). The data reveal that the
OWC's efficiency peaks when the wave period is close to the
natural period of the OWC, as predicted by equation (4). This
highlights the critical role of matching wave characteristics to
Figure 7. OWC WEC efficiency versus normalized period at the OWC's natural frequency for optimal performance.
howc = 100 mm. The effect of varying the OWC WEC's draft (howc) on the
efficiency was examined using sea state 1 (Hs = 38 mm, and
Tp = 1.335 s) and showed varying efficiencies with different
Table 2. Obtained efficiencies at different howc values for sea OWC drafts (howc). Table 2 and Figure 8 demonstrate a clear
state 1. trend: as howc decreases, efficiency increases. The efficiency
howc/Hs Towc was observed to decrease as the draft increased: 18.8%
Case Hs (mm) Tp (s) howc (mm) ξ (%)
(-) (s) efficiency at howc = 75 mm, 16.8% at howc = 100 mm, 15.9% at
1 38 1.335 175 4.61 1.063 11.9 howc = 125 mm, 13% at howc =150 mm, and 11.9% at howc =
175 mm. This inverse relationship is attributed to the reduced
2 38 1.335 150 3.95 1.015 13
water mass within the OWC chamber, which enhances
3 38 1.335 125 3.29 0.964 15.9 pneumatic pressure generation and reduces the energy
4 38 1.335 100 2.63 0.910 16.8
required for water column movement.
Using equation (4), Figure 9 further emphasizes the
5 38 1.335 75 1.97 0.853 18.8 correlation between Towc and howc. The tested cases (case 1 to

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 Hydrodynamic Analysis of an Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converter
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case 5) indicate that as howc decreases, Towc also decreases, CONCLUSIONS

reinforcing the observed efficiency trends. This correlation is This study provides valuable insights into the hydrodynamic
crucial for designing OWC devices tailored to specific wave performance of a fixed Oscillating Water Column (OWC) Wave
environments to maximize efficiency. Energy Converter (WEC) under various wave conditions,
emphasizing the roles of wave period, wave height, and device
1.15
Eqn. (4) Tested h owc draft. The experimental results revealed that the peak
hydrodynamic efficiency of approximately 46.1% was achieved
1.1 for a regular wave test with a wave height (H) of 48.3 mm and a
wave period (T) of 0.93 s. This peak efficiency occurs at the
1.05 natural frequency of the water column, confirming the
importance of resonance in maximizing energy capture.
1 The analysis showed a clear correlation between the OWC's
natural period (Towc) and its draft, reinforcing the need for
0.95 precise tuning of the device's natural period to match the
prevalent wave periods at the deployment site. The study
0.9 highlighted that wave steepness significantly affects the device's
efficiency, with higher steepness waves generally resulting in
0.85 lower efficiency due to nonlinear wave behavior.
These findings underscore the critical importance of
0.8 evaluating site-specific wave conditions for optimal power
extraction. By understanding the intricate relationships between
0.75 wave parameters and OWC performance, this research aids in
50 75 100 125 150 175 200
hOWC [mm]
the geometry optimization and site selection of fixed OWC
devices. Overall, the study contributes to the advancement of
wave energy conversion technology, promoting the development
Figure 9. OWC’s natural period versus howc. of efficient and sustainable renewable energy solutions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Experimental results confirm that energy capture The authors are grateful to the University of Doha for Science
significantly diminishes outside the optimal wave period and Technology (UDST) and the Centre for Maritime
range. The highest efficiency of approximately 46% was Engineering and Hydrodynamics of the Australian Maritime
observed for wave periods between 0.8 and 1.2 s, consistent College (AMC), University of Tasmania (UTAS) for facilitating
with the natural periods of the device. The calculated peak this study. Charlie Rae, Alan Pols, and Dr. Eric Gubesch are
power output of 0.97 W/m for an input of 2.1 W/m also acknowledged.
underscores the importance of minimizing these losses to
enhance overall efficiency. This finding underscores the need LITERATURE CITED
for precise tuning of the OWC's natural period to match the DNV. (2010). Recommended Practice DNV-RP-C205:
prevalent wave periods at the deployment site. Power losses Environmental conditions and environmental loads.
in the OWC device can be attributed to several factors, D. N. Veritas.
including geometric design, air damping, friction, water Falcão, A. F., & Henriques, J. C. (2016). Oscillating-water-
turbulence, and ambient conditions. Sharp changes in surface column wave energy converters and air turbines: A
direction induce vortex generation, leading to energy losses. review. Renewable energy, 85, 1391-1424.
Additionally, air damping causes a pressure lag in the OWC Molin, B. (2001). On the piston and sloshing modes in
chamber, evident at the midpoint of the compression and moonpools. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 430, 27-50.
decompression stages. Singh, U., Abdussamie, N., & Hore, J. (2020). Hydrodynamic
In conclusion, the study highlights the critical factors performance of a floating offshore OWC wave energy
influencing OWC efficiency, including wave parameters, converter: An experimental study. Renewable and
device draft, and the alignment of wave period with the Sustainable Energy Reviews, 117, 109501.
OWC's natural period. These insights are vital for the design
and optimization of OWC devices, ensuring efficient and
sustainable wave energy conversion.

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