Training school “Numerical modelling of WECs using SPH models” – WECANet coast action

A pan-European Network for Marine Renewable Energy with a Focus on Wave Energy

The pressure of climate change and the growing energy demand has increased interest in marine renewable energy resources, such as wave energy which can be harvested through Wave Energy Converter (WECs) Arrays.

​However, the wave energy industry is currently at a significant juncture in its development, facing a number of challenges which require that research re-focusses onto a techno-economic perspective, where the economics considers the full life-cycle costs of the technology. It also requires development of WECs suitable for niche markets, because in Europe there are inequalities regarding wave energy resources, wave energy companies, national programmes and investments. As a result, in Europe there are leading and non-leading countries in wave energy technology. The sector also needs to increase confidence of potential investors by reducing (non-)technological risks. This can be achieved through an interdisciplinary approach by involving engineers, economists, environmental scientists, legislation and policy experts etc. Consequently, the wave energy sector needs to receive the necessary attention compared to other more advanced and commercial ocean energy technologies (e.g. tidal and offshore wind).

​The formation of the first pan-European Network on an interdisciplinary marine wave energy approach will contribute to large-scale WEC Array deployment by dealing with the current bottlenecks. The WECANet Action aims at a collaborative approach, as it provides a strong networking platform that also creates the space for dialogue between all stakeholders in wave energy. WECANet’s main target is the equal research, training, networking, collaboration and funding opportunities for all researchers and professionals, regardless of age, gender and country in order to obtain understanding in the main challenges governing the development of the wave energy sector. Currently, 31 partner countries are active in the network.

The next training school “Numerical modelling of WECs using SPH models“, organised by Dr. Alejandro Crespo from the Ephyslab (CIM-UVigo), will take place on the 22th and 23rd of January at Campus de Ourense, Universidade de Vigo, Spain.

This training schoolaims to give a good introduction about the meshless particle methods based on SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) methodology and its benefits in the simulation of Wave Energy Converters (WECs). SPH is an ideal technique to simulate free-surface flows and presents several advantages compared with mesh-based methods to simulate violent wave-structure interactions. There is no special treatment to detect the free surface so large deformation can be efficiently treated since there is no mesh distortion. Other important advantage is that moving complex boundaries and interfaces are easily handledThe open-source code DualSPHysics has been designed to use SPH for real engineering problems. The latest versionof DualSPHysics includes, in the same meshless framework, the functionalities to study the wave-structure interaction, the mooring forces and the numerical behaviour of the Power Take-Off (PTO) system. Mooring forces are solved by the library MoorDyn that has been also coupled with DualSPHysics. PTO (and mechanical constraints of the device) can be now simulated using the coupling with the multiphysics library Project Chrono.This implementation allows for the efficient treatment of kinematic restrictions with user defined dynamic properties such as frictionand restitution coefficients, restitution forces from spring and damper systems and user-imposed forces and trajectories. The efficiency of different WECs can be studied by computing the hydrodynamic response of the devices interacting under different wave conditions. The survivability of the devices will be analysed in terms of the motions of the device and the mooring tensions at the anchors (and fairleads).The course will include lectures about: i) basis of SPH method; ii) advantages & disadvantages comparing with mesh-based CFD models; iii) description of DualSPHysics codeand latest developments;iv) applications of DualSPHysics in coastal engineering with focus on WECs. In addition, practical session is also organised where delegateswill learn howto run simulations following someexamples of: i) wave generation and propagation, ii) waves interacting with floating only heave absorber, iii) waves interacting with Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC), iv) waves interacting with devices similarto Pelamis.

The agenda includes the topics:

  • Numerical hydrodynamic modelling for WECs

  • The Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method

  • The DualSPHysics code

  • Applications in coastal engineering

  • Practical session I: Dam-break, Regular waves

  • Coupling with Chrono and MoorDyn

  • Your own experience with SPH

  • Practical session II: Point absorber, Moored device

  • Practical session III: OWSC, Pelamis

Trainers:

  • Prof. Aleksander Grm University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  • Prof. Moncho Gómez Gesteira University of Vigo, Spain

  • Dr. Alejandro Crespo University of Vigo, Spain

  • Dr. José M. Domínguez University of Vigo, Spain

  • Dr. Corrado Altomare Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Spain

​The Ephyslab´s (CIM-UVigo) activities are cofunded by the European Union through the ERDF Operational Program Galicia 2014-2020.

More information at https://www.wecanet.eu/