Author(s): Daniel Clemente; Victor Ramos; Felipe Teixeira-Duarte; Francisco Vilela Taveira-Pinto; Paulo Rosa-Santos; Francisco Taveira-Pinto
Linked Author(s): Victor Gallo Ramos, Paulo Rosa-Santos, Francisco Taveira Pinto
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: This paper summarizes a recent numerical study on a dual-purpose wave farm for a case study site located in the North-west coast of Portugal: the nearshore area of Esposende. This site not only exhibits a noteworthy wave energy resource for electricity generation, but also suffers from coastal erosion issues, which could be mitigated through the “shielding” effect of a nearshore wave energy farm. The study, carried out with the high-fidelity model SNL-SWAN, analyses distinct park layouts, from orientation to inter-device distance. It compares two standalone bottom-fixed oscillating flap parks, with a total of 150 units, in terms of energy/power output and local wave climate impact. It was found that the alternating configuration, or “W”, provided better results than the aligned configuration, or “III”. While the orientation outcomes varied, both configurations exhibited a similar increase of Annual Energy Production with greater inter-device distance – up to 316.4 GWh/yr (III) and 341.4 GWh/yr (W). These values refer to the combined farm scenario, as the standalone parks would generally yield even greater energy outputs due to a “shadowing” effect between the parks. In terms of coastal protection, the presence of the farms promotes a reduction of the significant wave heights, in the nearshore area, by up to 31%, although punctual increases were identified (under 7%). Overall, the "W" 280º 1.5D configuration, exhibited the best performance for a dual wave farm at nearshore Esposende.
Year: 2024