Can the shape of a wave energy device matter as much as the machinery inside it?
In automotive design, small changes in geometry can dramatically alter airflow, drag and efficiency. The same principle applies to wave energy devices.
This study investigates how the shape of the front and back walls of an Oscillating Water Column affects the way water moves around the structure. Sharp geometries promote flow separation and stronger vortices, wasting more energy through turbulence, while smoother and rounded profiles can guide the flow more efficiently.
The effect can be substantial. A circular-edged front geometry reduced mean turbulence intensity by 95% and increased device efficiency by 21%, while changes to the back geometry improved energy capture and reduced transmitted wave energy.
Shape controls turbulence. Time-resolved CFD velocity fields comparing a sharp-edged OWC front geometry (left) with a circular-edged design (right). Rounding the entrance substantially suppresses flow separation and vortex formation, producing a smoother flow field and reducing turbulent energy losses.
Much like optimising the body shape of a car, optimising the geometry of a wave energy device can determine how efficiently energy moves through the system rather than being lost to turbulence.
Citation
Y.R. Almalki, I. Karmpadakis (2026). Effects of OWC geometry on total energy efficiency and turbulent dissipation. Applied Ocean Research, 170, 105026.
Commentary
Can the shape of a wave energy device matter as much as the machinery inside it?
In automotive design, small changes in geometry can dramatically alter airflow, drag and efficiency. The same principle applies to wave energy devices.
This study investigates how the shape of the front and back walls of an Oscillating Water Column affects the way water moves around the structure. Sharp geometries promote flow separation and stronger vortices, wasting more energy through turbulence, while smoother and rounded profiles can guide the flow more efficiently.
The effect can be substantial. A circular-edged front geometry reduced mean turbulence intensity by 95% and increased device efficiency by 21%, while changes to the back geometry improved energy capture and reduced transmitted wave energy.
Much like optimising the body shape of a car, optimising the geometry of a wave energy device can determine how efficiently energy moves through the system rather than being lost to turbulence.