Wave energy converter configuration in dual wave farms

Wave farms, i.e., arrays of Wave Energy Converters (WECs), have recently been proven to be effective in fulfilling the dual function of carbon-free energy generation and coastal protection. In this paper these dual-function wave farms are referred as dual wave farms. The objective of this work is to investigate the influence of the WEC configuration on the performance of these dual wave farms through a case study: a dual wave farm consisting of WaveCat WECs deployed off an eroding beach. WaveCat is a floating overtopping WEC consisting of two hulls joined by their stern, forming a wedge. Two configurations are considered, with wedge angles of 30° and 60°. To characterize wave-WEC interaction, laboratory tests of a 1:30 WaveCat model are conducted using the two configurations and low-, mid- and high-energy sea states characteristic of the study area. The reflection and transmission coefficients obtained from the laboratory tests are inputted into a suite of numerical models to investigate the hydro- and morphodynamics of the beach. We find that the smaller wedge angle (30°) WECs afford more (less) coastal protection - quantified in terms of dry beach area availability - for short (long) peak periods than WECs with 60^∘. These results allow us to conclude that, for optimum performance of dual wave farms, WEC geometry should be adapted dynamically to the sea state.