Experimental Investigation of Top Hinged Flap Type Wave Energy Device with a Bottom Gap – Preliminary Experimentations

Abstract

The “Pendulor” type wave energy converting system essentially consists of a caisson, a water chamber facing the offshore open, and a flap that is hung down in that. The flap is driven by the oscillatory motion of the standing waves generated inside the caisson. The flap then drives a generator through a hydraulic power transmission system. The main objective of the proposed study is to study the hydrodynamics of the device with a gap between the bottom of the flap and the caisson. As an initiative, this paper describes the test facility arrangements with wave tank modification, calibrations and preliminary model test results. Accordingly, the experimental facility, the wave tank at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya was modified to comply with a scale models of (1/40) of the proposed device configuration for typical wave climatic conditions in which the wave length is 100 m, maximum wave height is 6 m and the power density is 20 kW/m.