RT Journal Article
T1 Influence of turbine damping on OWC wave-to-wire performance
A1 López Moreira, Iván
A1 Álvarez Fernández, Borja
A1 Fouz, David Mateo
A1 Carballo Sánchez, Rodrigo
A1 Iglesias Rodríguez, José Gregorio
K1 Oscillating water column
K1 Turbine-induced damping
K1 Turbine-chamber coupling
K1 Physical modelling
K1 Wave-to-wire modelling
K1 Impulse turbine
AB Turbine-chamber coupling is a decisive factor in the performance of oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converters. In this study, a wave-to-wire model is developed to evaluate the influence of turbine-induced damping on the different energy conversion stages—pneumatic, mechanical, and electrical—of an OWC equipped with a biradial turbine. The methodology combines: (i) high-resolution spectral modelling to characterize the nearshore wave energy resources at a study site in Galicia (NW Spain); (ii) physical (laboratory) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of the OWC hydrodynamics accounting for air compressibility; and (iii) analytical modelling of the turbine–generator set, including a control law for rotational speed regulation. Results show that turbine-induced damping critically affects the performance of OWC devices across all energy conversion stages, with the optimal damping condition varying according to the stage considered. Mechanical efficiency emerges as a key factor, which can shift the optimal damping towards higher values than those indicated by the pneumatic efficiency alone. These findings underscore the importance of turbine efficiency in OWC design and highlight the need to integrate mechanical and electrical conversion stages into turbine-chamber coupling strategies to achieve optimal performance.
PB Elsevier
SN 0360-5442
YR 2026
FD 2026-04-01
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/47047
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/47047
LA eng
NO López, I., Álvarez, B., Fouz, D. M., Carballo, R., & Iglesias, G. (2026). Influence of turbine damping on OWC wave-to-wire performance. Energy, 348, 140537. 10.1016/j.energy.2026.140537
NO This research was funded by the PORTOS project—Ports Towards Energy Self-Sufficiency—reference number EAPA_784/2018, co-financed by the Interreg Atlantic Area Program through the European Regional Development Fund and ‘Axudas para a consolidación e estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas nas universidades do Sistema Universitario de Galicia 2023’ with reference number ED431B 2023/17. During this work D.M. Fouz was supported by the postdoctoral orientation period of a predoctoral grant of the ‘Convocatoria de contratos predoutorais do Campus de Especialización Campus Terra’ with reference number 8042 272B 64100 and ‘Axudas para a consolidación e estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas e outras accións de fomento nas universidades do Sistema Universitario de Galicia (2025-28)’ with reference number ED431C 2025/17. The numerical model simulations have been performed on the FinisTerrae II supercomputer at the ‘Centro de Supercomputación de Galicia (CESGA)’.
DS Minerva
RD 24 may 2026