Non Breaking Wave Forces at the Front Face of Seawave Slotcone Generators

Abstract

The Seawave Slotcone Generator (WAVEnergy SAS, 2003) is a wave energy converter based on the overtopping principle. Although it has been effectively researched during the last decade, no design tool has been supplied to estimate the hydrodynamic loads the waves exert on its front face. In this article a set of well reliable 3D experiments has been re-analyzed, in order to get indications on possible calculation methods. It is shown that the Japanese design tools for monolithic sea dikes may be reasonably adapted to the present case. Finally a new approach is presented, which is based on the so called momentum flux principle; the resulting predictive equation fits the experimental data remarkably well.

Keywords

• wave energy converters
• Seawave Slotcone Generator (SSG)
• wave forces
• physical model tests