Author(s)

Dongmei Zhou, Jennifer A. Eden

Department of Mechanical Engineering, California State University, Sacramento, CA, USA.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the optimal size and number of tubes for a generic attenuator that is similar to Pelamis P2, the wave energy converter. Simulations using ANSYS Workbench, Design Modeler, and AQWA are performed to study the energy absorption at the nodes between the tubes. The analysis is limited to linearized hydrodynamic fluid waves loading on floating bodies by employing three-dimensional radiation/diffraction theory in regular waves in the frequency domain. Three sets of tests are conducted by varying total tube number, each tube length and the order of tubes with different lengths. After a systematic study in the frequency domain, the optimal size and number of the genetic attenuator is recommended.

Attenuator, Pelamis, Extraction Efficiency & Power, Numerical Simulation, Parametric Study

Zhou, D. and Eden, J. (2015) Optimal Design of a Multibody Self-Referencing Attenuator. Journal of Power and Energy Engineering, 3, 59-69. doi: 10.4236/jpee.2015.39005.