Wave energy converter geometry for coastal flooding mitigation

Area of Science:

• Marine Engineering
• Coastal Engineering
• Renewable Energy Systems

Background:

• Wave energy converters (WECs) are proposed for dual carbon-free energy generation and coastal defense.
• WEC geometry's impact on coastal protection, specifically flooding, remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how different WaveCat WEC geometries affect coastal protection performance against flooding.
• To compare the efficacy of WaveCat WECs with 30° and 60° wedge angles in reducing coastal inundation.

Main Methods:

• Laboratory-scale (1:30) testing of two WaveCat WEC models with varying wedge angles (30° and 60°).
• Simulation of low-, mid-, and high-energy sea states representative of Playa Granada, Spain.
• Coupled numerical modeling using SWAN and XBeach-G, incorporating WEC reflection and transmission coefficients.

Main Results:

• WECs with a 60° wedge angle demonstrated greater wave height reduction and run-up decrease for longer wave periods.
• The 60° geometry generally resulted in smaller flooded dry beach areas, particularly under high-energy storm conditions.
• Performance variations were observed, with 30° WECs showing some advantages under mild conditions.

Conclusions:

• Wave farms utilizing WECs with a 60° wedge angle are more effective for coastal flood protection.
• The chosen WEC geometry significantly influences wave farm performance in mitigating coastal inundation, especially during storm events.