Multi-fidelity Modeling and Simulation of Dual-flap Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter

Modeling and simulation of wave energy converters based on linear wave theory limits the analysis to small wave amplitudes. In high sea-state conditions, large wave amplitudes lead to large motions, which is desired for wave energy generation. While computational fluid dynamics tools are more appropriate to predict the hydrodynamic response under large motion conditions, high-fidelity simulations can be computationally expensive, especially in the early stages of the converter design or in assessing the converter's performance capabilities. As such, there is a need for reduced-order models with different fidelity levels that balance the accuracy of the predicted hydrodynamic responses with the computational time and resources. In this effort, we assess the performance of multi-fidelity numerical simulations of the hydrodynamic response of a dual-flap oscillating surge wave energy converter. All simulations are validated against data from tests performed in the wave tank of Davidson Laboratory at Stevens Institute of Technology.