Numerical and Experimental Modelling of Wave Field Variations around Arrays of Wave Energy Converters

Dear Colleagues,

Wave energy has a huge potential to contribute to the required renewable energy supply worldwide. Wave energy converters (WECs) will need to be installed in arrays (or farms) to capture a sufficient amount of energy from the incident waves. Conventionally, the power output, the power take-off system, and (conversion) efficiency of single WECs are investigated in detail during the design phase, aiming at WEC device optimization.

However, the individual WECs in an array configuration interact with each other, which affects the overall power output of the WEC array (“near field” effects). Moreover, large WEC arrays, called WEC farms, have a significant effect on the surrounding wave field. These are “far field” effects or “wake” effects for the WEC farms, featuring reduced wave heights in the shadow zone behind the farm due to the wave absorption in the farm. As a result, an accurate assessment of the environmental impact of WEC arrays and farms due to the wave field variations is also required during the design phase.

Papers are invited which present experimental or numerical methodologies for modelling both near field effects and far field wake effects of WEC farms on the surrounding wave field, on the coastal morphology, or on other users of the sea, as the relevant tools for the environmental impact assessment.

Apart from WECs, other floating devices placed in an array configuration are also targeted, including recent trends such as co-located wave and wind energy farms, offshore floating platforms, arrays of combined energy devices, etc. These topics are directly related to the new “WECANet COST Action CA17105 - A pan-European network for Marine Renewable Energy”.

Prof. Dr. Peter TROCH
Dr. Vicky STRATIGAKI
Dr. Matt FOLLEY
Assist. Prof. Dr. Eva LOUKOGEORGAKI
Guest Editors

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