4th European HyperWorks

Technology Conference

October 27-29, 2010

Palais de Congres
Versailles, France
THE WAVE ENERGY GENERATOR

Problem – Need – Ideas – Methodologies - Results

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 THE NEEDS FOR ENERGY

European Union
“Europe's citizens and companies need a secure supply of energy at
affordable prices in order to maintain our standards of living. At the
same time, the negative effects of energy use, particularly fossil
fuels, on the environment must be reduced. That is why EU policy
focuses on creating a competitive internal energy market offering
quality service at low prices, on developing renewable energy
sources, on reducing dependence on imported fuels, and on doing
more with a lower consumption of energy.” “Energy policy for a competitive Europe,
europa.eu”

Unite States of America

“State-specific energy-efficiency incentive programs also play a
significant role in the overall energy policy of the United States.
The United States had resisted endorsing the Kyoto Protocol,
preferring to let the market drive CO2 reductions to mitigate
global warming, which will require CO2 emission taxation. The
administration of Barack Obama has proposed an aggressive
energy policy reform, including the need for a reduction of CO2
emissions, with a cap and trade program, which could help
encourage more clean renewable, sustainable energy
development.” Energy policy of the United States

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 OCEAN WAVE ENERGY

The Phenomenon of waves

Waves are generated by wind passing over the surface of the sea. As long as
the waves propagate slower than the wind speed just above the waves, there
is an energy transfer from the wind to the waves. Both air pressure
differences between the upwind and the lee side of a wave crest, as well as
friction on the water surface by the wind, making the water to go into the
shear stress causes the growth of the waves.

Wave height is determined by wind speed, the duration of time the wind has
been blowing, fetch (the distance over which the wind excites the waves) and
by the depth and topography of the seafloor (which can focus or disperse the
energy of the waves). A given wind speed has a matching practical limit over
which time or distance will not produce larger waves. When this limit has
been reached the sea is said to be "fully developed."
In general, larger waves are more powerful but wave power is also
determined by wave speed, wavelength, and water density.

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 OCEAN WAVE THEORY

• Wave power formula

• In deep water where the water depth is larger than half the wavelength, the wave energy flux is

• The above formula states that wave power is proportional to the wave period and to the square of the wave height.
• When the significant wave height is given in meters, and the wave period in seconds, the result is the wave power in
kilowatts (kW) per meter of wavefront length.

• Wave energy and wave energy flux

• In a sea state, the average energy density per unit area of gravity waves on the water surface is proportional to the
wave height squared, according to linear wave theory

• where E is the mean wave energy density per unit horizontal area (J/m2), the sum of kinetic and potential energy
density per unit horizontal area. The potential energy density is equal to the kinetic energy, both contributing half to
the wave energy density E, as can be expected from the equipartition theory. In ocean waves, surface tension effects
are negligible for wavelengths above a few decimeters.

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 THE WAVE POWER DEVICES

• Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that
energy to do useful work — for example for electricity generation, water desalination,
or the pumping of water (into reservoirs).

• Wave power devices are generally categorized by the method used to capture the
energy of the waves. They can also be categorized by location and power take-off
system. Method types are point absorber or buoy; surfacing following or attenuator
oriented parallel to the direction of wave propagation; terminator, oriented
perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation; oscillating water column; and
overtopping. Locations are shoreline, nearshore and offshore. Types of power take-off
include: hydraulic ram, elastomeric hose pump, pump-to-shore, hydroelectric turbine,
air turbine, and linear electrical generator. Some of these designs incorporate parabolic
reflectors as a means of increasing the wave energy at the point of capture. These
capture systems use the rise and fall motion of waves to capture energy. Once the wave
energy is captured at a wave source, power must be carried to the point of use or to a
connection to the electrical grid by transmission power cables.

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NEED TO DEVELOP SIMULATION METHODS

• The need to design a mechanism that could convert the energy of

waves into electricity is increasing every day and increase the need for
further research and optimization of new ideas as well.
• Many ideas and suggestions have been lined up in recent years to
better use of all waves on the planet, each device should be designed
and redesigned several times wanting to keep certain standards, Such
devices should comply with standards multiple rules, this increasing the
cost of research.
• Most times the developing of a mechanism is impossible to move
forward for the reason that the technology has not invented solution
for calculating the performance and behavior before creating the first
prototype.

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BENEFITS FROM THE SIMULATION AT THE
DESIGN

• The simulation of a small models in a tank can give us a first look of the behavior of the
device but can not help us understand the efficiency, the structural analysis, the behavior
under special conditions and the interaction of the elements carrying off energy and
converted into electrical ( actuators, electrical generators etc)
• In the present software market we can found several software that can do structural -
CFD - 1d systems simulations but the issue is that these software are not able to
simulate mechanisms with specific data and methods
• The simulation software should have the capabilities in order to calculate the following
parameters:

• An ocean wave formulation - Methodology to create custom waves

• Equations to solve ALE and to model correctly the wave shape
• Failure criteria
• Structural analysis of the construction
• Composites material
• The capability to create special elements (spring, actuators)
• Options to simulate the Dynamic behavior of the device on the waves with the
calculation of the 1d systems
• Option to couple with Optimization codes

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 METHODOLOGY

• As the best approach for developing a methodology for solving the problem a
dynamic simulation software Radioss from Altair Engineering has selected.
• For the simulation of the ocean waves, a special methodology developed to create
any length – height - period of a wave by using SPH to model the ocean. The SPH
can replace the need for a CFD code since it can simulate the ocean surface with the
accuracy of any CFD solver, also the modelization of the wave by using SPH can
reduce the time for solving the simulation since the engineer does not spending time
for extreme meshes.
• The solver can couple with 1d simulation software and an optimization software, this
opportunity has many benefits for developing such devices, the motion of the device
can couple with the 1d simulation software and to export the velocity of the nodes
that the actuators are positioning, then the 1 d simulation software can calculate the
motion of the actuators and the hydraulic – electrical system, the next step is to send
back to the explicit dynamic solver the forces of the actuators and their position for
the calculation of the next step.

Ocean waves model with SPH

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BENEFITS FROM USING A DYNAMIC SOLVER

• The benefits from using the explicit dynamic solver Radioss and
the coupling options are:
• Better understanding the correct pressure of the hydraulic
system for having the best efficiency and to stop any undersea
phenomenon.
• Understanding the parameters in design that the engineer has
to make for more efficiency ( length - weight etc)
• Calculation of any elements that create the assembly ( steel
parts, links, composite materials etc)
• Calculation of any undersea phenomenon
• Same time calculation of the 1d system as well.
• Understanding the interaction between the structural parts
and the hydraulic systems, the engineer can change the size of
the motors or the generator and study the motion on the
same or on a different wave.
• Full Automate optimization of the structural parts and the 1d
systems by coupling with Hyperstudy .
• Hyperstudy can optimize the length – weight - shape of the
structural parts, pressure of the hydraulic system, size of the
actuators, size of any hydraulic component etc fact and
accurate, composite parts.
• The capability to find the best place to add the actuators and
to create the best link design.

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SIMULATION WITH RADIOSS

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 STUDY OF THE RESUTLS

• The engineer can work with several data for creating the best product easily and fast enough.
• Using the high end simulation software can create several simulation with different parameters and
to check the different designs in the less time. The capability to redesign the device with out the
need to start from the beginning, and to extract important data as velocities, stresses, deformations,
hydrodynamic drag, wave crash etc can help him to reach the market faster than any other
competitor.
• Hyperview used for post process any result and with Hypergraph created any diagram that could
explain the actual interactions of the phenomenon and the human technology.

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 OPTIMIZATION OF THE STRUCTURE

• The opportunity for optimization of the energy

structure is very important especially if the
construction is made from composite parts, in this case
the composite parts have to be in the service for many
year , any impact from woods or any garbage's has to
leave the part without any damage, also the strain and
the stresses due to the wave impact has to be inside
the limits of the part.
• With optistruct we have the opportunity to optimize
the best shape for the beam elements, the best point
that we could link actuators and also the ideal shape
of any other structural member .
• Optistruct is also used for the design and optimization
of the floats, the idea to create floats from
composites materials took place with the use of
optistruct, the last design is 50% less weight and
20% stronger than the first design.

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OPTIMIZATION OF THE ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC
SYSTEM

• The wave energy generator produce electricity from the

motion of the floats on the wave surface, the ideal production
is succeed at the point that the motion of the float is not
destroying the height of the wave more than 20% , if the
pressure of the hydraulic system is increase then the floats are
sink in the waves as a result to have less motion, less motion
means less mass of high pressure hydraulic liquid as a result to
have less revolutions per minute to the motor, also a complete
sequence of the floats on the waves have as result to have
less pressure on the hydraulic system even if we are having
a height hydraulic liquid mass production.
• The ideal solution has to follow the high efficient field of the
hydraulic motor , that means that the pressure and the
production of the hydraulic liquid have to follow specific levels
for each wave for the maximum efficiency.

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 COUPLING RADIOSS WITH
1D SIMULATION SYSTEM

• By coupling Radioss and a 1D simulation

software we can calculate the hydraulics
and electrical circuits are the same time
with the dynamic of the structure, that
means that we can increase or decrease
the pressure of the liguid of change the Electro-hydraulics
calculation with
actuators dimensions and study the 1D simulation
motion of the structure and the efficiency software
at the same time.
• By coupling Hyperstudy with the above
solvers we can optimize all these
parameters and create curves that will
helps us to understand the best approach.
Optimization code Dynamics
that is optimize calculated with
the parameters Radioss

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 ECONOMICAL BENEFITS

• The Methodology of simulating an ocean wave generator using an explicit dynamic solver
– 1d system simulation software – optimization engine can reduce the cost for developing
more than 50 %
• The efficiency of the product can reach the maximum level
• The cost of the material can reduce more than 60 %
• The needs for any composite material that could give more benefits, easily can be study.
• The cost of the Hydraulic components can reduce and reach the most important.
• More benefits can examine on each design case.

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 Thank you

• InterFEA Engineering inc. Tantalou 7, PC 54627, Thessaloniki, GREECE

• Tel: 0030 2311 758 714 – 5 e-mail : [email protected]

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