ARTICLE IN PRESS

Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641

www.elsevier.com/locate/renene

A linearized model for estimating the performance of submerged

resonant wave energy converters
Pasquale Filianotia, Sergio M. Camporealeb,
a
Department of Mechanics and Materials, University Mediterranean of Reggio Calabria, Via Graziella, Loc. Feo di Vito, 89060 Reggio Calabria, Italy
b
Department of Mechanical and Management Engineering, Politechnic University of Bari, Via Re David 200, 70125 Bari, Italy
Received 19 November 2006; accepted 17 March 2007
Available online 22 May 2007

Abstract

A realistic performance analysis of oscillating water column wave energy converters (WECs) addresses to a set of non-linear
differential equations that need to be integrated in time, by using a stochastic approach, under the hypothesis of random wind-generated
sea waves, for all the sea states which characterize the location of the system. Non-linearities of the differential equations have several
origins:

 minor and major losses of the unsteady flow of water and air;
 compressibility of air and heat exchange with the walls of the air chamber;
 non-linear characteristics of the turbine.

Under the hypothesis of random sea waves with Gaussian distribution, the authors propose an original methodology for linearizing
the differential equations that describe the flow motion inside a wholly submerged WEC. Under such hypothesis, the linearized model
can be used for predicting the power output by means of the calculations in the frequency domain and for control design. The developed
methodology has been applied to the estimation of the performance of the new ‘‘resonant sea wave energy converters’’, called REWEC,
patented by Boccotti in 1998, and consisting of several caissons, characterized by a structure similar to the caissons of the traditional
breakwaters and placed on the seabed, close one to each other, to form a submerged breakwater. Each caisson is connected to a vertical
duct wholly beneath the sea level, where a hydraulic Wells turbine is placed.
The matching between turbine and resonance characteristic of the system is carefully analysed in order to maximize the energy
conversion efficiency.
Some results, given for a small installation in the Mediterranean sea, confirm that the REWEC system is able to absorb a large share of
the incident wave energy due to a very simple regulation system which permits the tuning on sea states with different significant heights.
r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Wave energy; Wells turbine; Stochastic methods; Wave energy converters

1. Introduction The buoy-type WECs are also known as ‘‘point

Wave energy converters (WECs) can be collected into
two main groups: the buoy-type and the turbine-type. The
former are based on the Steven Salter’s device [1], the latter
on the Yoshio Masuda’s invention [2].
Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 080 5963627; fax: +39 080 5963411.
E-mail addresses: filianoti@unirc.it (P. Filianoti),
camporeale@poliba.it (S.M. Camporeale).
absorbers’’ because they harvest energy from all directions
at one point in the ocean. Generally, these devices are
placed offshore at or near the ocean surface. The most
common types of point absorbers are the hollow tube types
[3] and the float types [4]. A promising and unique device
among WECs is the Pelamis [5]. It looks like a snake
floating on the ocean surface. The cylindrical sections are
held together by hinged joints whose heave and sway
motion pumps high-pressure hydraulic oil.

0960-1481/$ - see front matter r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.renene.2007.03.018
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
632 P. Filianoti, S.M. Camporeale / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641

Nomenclature P differential equation parameter

Q flow rate
AA section A area R hydraulic radius
A differential equation parameter Rhub hub radius
AB section B area Rmid mid-span radius
At turbine bladed area Rtip tip radius
Bt turbine Damping Factor s blade solidity
c plenum chamber height S power spectrum density
c0 level of the ceiling of the air room below m.w.l. t time
CL adequacy coefficient Ta one-year time period
Ea annual energy absorbed by the system Tp peak period
Ep annual turbine energy input per meter uw flow velocity in the vertical duct
Et annual turbine energy output up Weibull’s distribution parameter
f friction factor Utip tangential tip velocity
F differential equation parameter V axial velocity
Ft applied turbine damping factor v velocity along a stream function
g gravitation acceleration vA velocity at section A
h hub-to-tip ratio vB velocity at section B
G frequency response function wp Weibull’s distribution parameter
HA hydraulic head at section A zA z-coordinate of section A
HB hydraulic head at section B zB z-coordinate of section B
Hs significant wave height Dp pressure drop
Yc continuous head losses Dp* non-dimensional pressure drop
Yi/s minor head losses in the vertical duct F wave energy flow rate per meter
Yt head drop through the turbine f turbine flow coefficient
m air polytropic law exponent g specific weight
Ki/s inlet/outlet loss coefficient frms root mean square value of f
l duct length Zt turbine efficiency
N number of blades r mass density (kg/m3)
pG gaussian probability distribution z water level in the plenum chamber
pW Weibull’s probability distribution s standard deviation
pair pressure at section A on angular eigen frequency (rad/s)
pB pressure at section B — overbar for time average quantity
patm atmospheric pressure m.w.l. mean water level
Pp turbine available power rms root mean square
Pt turbine shaft power

The turbine-type WEC devices may be ‘‘overtopping’’ or
‘‘OWC’’. The overtopping WECs work like a hydroelectric
dam where the waves roll into a collector which funnels the
water into a hydro turbine [6]. The most highly developed
turbine-type devices are the OWC (oscillating water
column) devices, which are actually the only ones
accredited for industrial application, being the most mature
WECs in terms of the number and duration of ‘‘in-sea’’
prototypes tested to date. OWCs can be placed on the
shoreline or near the shore. The nearshore devices can be
fixedly moored to the ocean bottom, or slack moored so as
to respond to changes in mean water level (i.e. tides).
OWC converters are essentially composed by a partially
submerged plenum chamber, with an opening to the sea,
and an upper duct which vents to the atmosphere. Under
the action of the incident sea waves, the water oscillates
vertically in the plenum chamber; acting as a fluid piston,
the motion of the water surface causes an oscillating air
flow, which moves one or more Wells turbines. The Wells
turbine [7,8] is a kind of self-rectifying axial flow turbine
suitable for the extraction of energy from oscillating air
flows. Several approaches have been used to model and
optimize OWC devices. The theoretical investigations
[9–11] began assuming the incident waves to be regular
or monochromatic and performed the analysis in the
frequency domain. Stochastic methods [12,13] offer the
advantage of a strong reduction in the computational times
and the capability to provide the basic design of wave
power plants, including the specification of the power
equipment [14].
The resonant sea wave energy converters (REWEC) [15]
is a new sea wave energy absorber. It consists of a caisson
with a vertical duct. The caisson is placed on the seabed
and is wholly beneath the sea level. Several caissons can be
placed close one to each other, to form a submerged
breakwater. Such a plant has no visual impact, protects
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
P. Filianoti, S.M. Camporeale / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641 633

coasts from wave-induced erosion and creates a water sheet

with attenuated wave motion. Moreover, it is able to
absorb a large share of the incident wave energy thanks to
a very simple regulation system which permits the tuning
on sea states with different significant wave heights.
Boccotti [15] analysed the behaviour of the absorber under
the characteristic groups of high waves formed during sea
storms [16], while Filianoti [17] examined its behaviour
under the action of random sea waves. Both these
approaches are based on the time integration of the
differential equations, which characterize the system
model. The simple one-dimensional model used to repre-
sent the dynamic behaviours of the flow motion inside the
plant has been verified experimentally [18,19].
In this work, the mathematical model, able to simulate
the dynamics of the Boccotti’s submerged plant, has been
simplified and linearized, leading to a second-order
ordinary differential equation, for which a stochastic
approach in the frequency domain can be applied.
The paper presents first the methodology for linearizing
the terms related to continuous and friction losses; then the
method is applied to the case of a turbine with a non-linear
characteristic curve. The paper gives some numerical results
by applying the proposed methodology to the performance
estimation of a submerged REWEC plant installed in the
northern Mediterranean sea. The comparison with the
results given by the complete non-linear model are also Fig. 1. Plant scheme.
compared and discussed. The optimum matching conditions
between the plant and the turbine are finally analysed. of the Straits of Messina), in order to verify that in the
Boccotti’s plant it is possible to obtain a strong natural
2. Plant description resonance between two random processes: the wave
pressure at the outer opening of the caisson and the flow
The absorber patented by Boccotti [15] is essentially inside the caisson. In this location, tide amplitudes are very
composed by a closed concrete caisson, similar to those small and wind waves are usually generated, with
utilized in breakwaters, onto which a vertical duct is significant wave height Hs between 0.2 and 1.0 m, peak
inserted (Fig. 1). The plenum chamber is completely period Tp between 2.0 and 4.0 s [16,18].
submerged and anchored to the depth. The duct has the To utilize the sea wave energy absorbed into the
upper opening just below the sea surface, while the lower Boccotti’s device, and convert it into mechanical energy,
opening is just above the bottom of the caisson. an hydraulic turbine inspired by the Wells air turbine has
Water oscillations in the duct and in the chamber are been supposed to be placed into the vertical duct (Fig. 1).
characterized by an eigen-period which is related to the The turbine considered in this work is characterized by a
geometry of the system. Moreover, the eigen-period can be mono-plane scheme without guide vane and by the use of
modified by varying the air mean pressure that acts as a gas symmetrical blade profile (NACA0012) with constant
spring on the water surface (Fig. 1) in order to reach chord (Fig. 2). To limit the pressure drop across the
resonance condition with the wave peak period. Under turbine, caused by the water flux, the turbine requires both
resonance condition, the velocity of the flow in the duct can low solidity and low rotational speed.
be very high as well as the pressure fluctuations in the A simplified two-dimensional mathematical model,
plenum. These fluctuations can be one order of magnitude similar to that proposed by Gato and Falcão [8], has been
greater than fluctuations of the wave forcing term. In this developed to predict the turbine performance. Details on
way, a large percentage of the wave energy can be absorbed. the mathematical model can be found in [20].
One of the most interesting aspect of the Boccotti’s device The turbine performance are conveniently characterized
concerns the simplicity of regulation. The regulation can be by means of non-dimensional coefficients: the flow
done from a land-station, simply pumping air in the plenum coefficient f, the pressure drop coefficient Dp* and the
or opening a valve for discharge, at time intervals equal to turbine damping factor Bt are defined as
sea-state duration of time.
V Dp Dp
A small-scale field experiment was made in the new f ; Dp ¼ 1 2
; Bt ¼ , (1)
U tip rU f
OKEANOS laboratory, at Reggio Calabria (eastern coast 2 tip
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
634 P. Filianoti, S.M. Camporeale / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641

where V ¼ Q/At is the mean value of the axial flow turbine damping factor Bt results to be almost independent
velocity, Utip is the tangential velocity at the blade tip and from fU When the flow coefficient reaches high values
Dp is the pressure drop through the turbine. The turbine (higher than 0.15), the pressure drop coefficient has no
efficiency, given by the ratio between the shaft power Pt more a linear behaviour, because the high incidence angle
and the available power Pp causes flow separation around the blades. It can be shown
Pt Pt that, until the flow coefficient is small, the turbine damping
Zt ¼ ¼ , (2) factor depends mainly on solidity and hub-to-tip ratio [8]
Pp DpQ
and, for low solidity turbines with constant chord, can be
is shown with Dp* obtained in Fig. 3. It appears that Dp* conveniently approximated by [19]
increases at constant rate for low values of f, so that the Bt ffi psð1 þ hÞ, (3)
where h is the hub-to-tip ratio and s is the turbine solidity.
Under unsteady flow conditions, pressure drop Dp
and axial velocity V vary continuously with time; the
mean absorbed power during a time period T is then given
by
Z
1 tþT
P̄p ¼ DpQ dt: (4)
T t

3. Mathematical model

The generalized Bernoulli’s theorem applied along a

Fig. 2. Two blade hydraulic turbine inspired to the Wells turbine.
streamline from the air–water interface in the caisson (A) to
the upper opening of the vertical duct (B) (Fig. 1) gives
Z X
1 B qv̄
 ds̄ ¼ H A  H B  Y, (5)
g A qt
where SY represents the sum of the head losses along the
stream line. These head losses can be estimated from
X
Y ¼ Y t þ Y c þ Y i=s , (6)
where Y t ¼ Dp=rg, Yc and Yi/s represent, respectively, the
head drop across the turbine, continuous friction losses,
and minor head losses in the vertical duct. Neglecting the
contribution of the local inertia of the water below the
bottom end of the duct, the flow equation of the water

Fig. 3. Turbine efficiency Zt and non-dimensional pressure drop Dp* as a function of f for stationary flow condition.
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
P. Filianoti, S.M. Camporeale / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641 635

inside the plant becomes Eq. (7) has been validated and calibrated against the
X experimental results obtained on the small-scale model
c  z d2 z l duw
þ ¼ HA  HB  Y, (7) without turbine [18]. Details on the calibration of the
g dt 2 g dt exponent m of the polytropic law and the coefficient Ki/s of
where l is the length of the vertical duct, z is the height of the minor losses in Eq. (11) can be found therein.
the air pocket, c is the height of the inner room, uw is the
velocity in the vertical duct (positive upward). The total 4. Linearization procedure
head HA is related to the (absolute) pressure pair in the air
chamber by Design and performance estimation have been carried
2 out by using a linearized form of Eq. (7). The linearized
pair ðdz=dtÞ
H A ¼ ðc0 þ zÞ þ þ , (8) form is a second-order ordinary differential equation
rg 2g similar to the equation that describes a well-known
where c0 is the level of the ceiling of the air room below mechanical spring–mass–damper system.
m.w.l. Assuming a polytropic law for the variation of the The terms that need to be linarized are:
pressure inside the chamber, the pressure pair can be
evaluated as a function of the chamber volume, that, in the  the characteristic curve [Dp* ¼ f (j)] of the low solidity
simple geometry described in Fig. 1, is directly propor- Wells turbine;
tional to the height z of the air chamber. Therefore, it  polytropic law of air in the air pocket (acting as a gas
results spring);
 m  friction and minor losses.
z
pair ¼ ½rgðc þ z0 Þ þ patm  0 ,
0
(9)
z
It is possible to linearize the differential equation,
where z0 is the height of the plenum in the chamber in considering small oscillations around the position of static
steady-state condition, and m is the exponent of the equilibrium:
polytropic law. Continuous frictions losses can be ex-
pressed in the form valid in the case of permanent flow d2 y dy
A þF þ Py ¼ ghB ðtÞ, (14)
dt2 dt
f juw juw
Yc ¼ l , (10) where y ¼ z  z0 is the displacement of the water surface in
4R 2g
caisson. Terms A and P follow straightforwardly by the
where R is the hydraulic radius, and f is the friction factor. Taylor series polynomial of degree 1 of Eqs. (7) and (9),
The head losses in the vertical duct should be estimated respectively, while the coefficient of the first-order term, F,
alternatively either as losses due to a sudden opening or as is given by:
losses due to duct entrance, depending on the flow
F ¼ F t þ F s, (15)
direction. For simplicity, a unique loss coefficient, inde-
pendent from the flow direction is adopted, so that where Ft takes into account the characteristic curve of the
Wells turbine and Fs is obtained from the linearization of
1
Y i=s ¼ K i=s juw juw . (11) head losses. It can be easily shown that the total head drop
2g
across the turbine becomes
The flow velocity in the vertical duct, uw, is related to the F t dz
time derivative of z by the continuity equation: Yt ¼ , (16)
g dt
AA dz
uw ¼ , (12) and the coefficient Ft, called ‘‘applied damping factor’’,
AB dt results equal to
where AA and AB are the cross section of the chamber (at Bt U tip AA
the air–water interface) and the cross section of the duct, Ft ¼ . (17)
2 At
respectively, while the axial velocity V crossing the turbine
can be obtained from the continuity equation Considering operating conditions into which the turbine
damping factor Bt is almost constant, the coefficient Ft can
AB
V¼ uw . (13) be determined from the geometrical characteristics and the
At rotational speed of the turbine.
The substitution in Eq. (7) of the above expressions for In order to describe the procedure adopted to linearize
HA, SY and uw, leads to a non-linear second-order the term of head losses, we suppose first that the wave
differential equation that can be solved numerically for acting on the system is a simple sinusoidal wave. Under
given hB(t) and initial conditions. Because wind-generated- such hypothesis, the integration of the non-linear differ-
waves are chaotic, energy per unit weight hB(t) represents a ential equation (7) leads to a periodic response y(t) that is
random process, which may be given by numerical not far from a sinusoidal function of time. Assuming for
simulation (see [18,19]). The mathematical model given in y(t) a sinusoidal form with period T, power losses due to
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636 P. Filianoti, S.M. Camporeale / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641

continuous and minor losses in the vertical duct can be fluctuations inside the vertical duct, it is possible to show
evaluated from that
Z tþT R1
rgAB U 1=3 C L pðu; su ¼ wÞ du
P̄w ¼ kt juw ju2w dt, (18) C L1=3 ¼ R 1 , (24)
T
U 1=3 pðu; su ¼ wÞ du
t

where kt accounts for all the considered turbulent losses in

where U1/3 is the threshold being exceeded by 1/3 wave
the system.
heights of velocity fluctuations. This definition is simply
In the linear model, head losses vary linearly with the
expressed by
velocity uw in the duct, like in a laminar flow; in such pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
conditions power losses should be equal to those of the U 1=3 ¼ su 8 ln 3. (25)
non-linear system with the same period T and the same
Solving the integrals in Eq. (24), we arrive to
velocity uw in the duct:
Z tþT 16
rgAB C̄ L1=3 ¼ su . (26)
P̄w ¼ keq u2w dt. (19) 3p
T t
Also in this case an iterative procedure is necessary to
Considering that, under the above hypotheses on y(t), evaluate su; in all the tested case, a few iterations have been
also uw(t) is a sinusoidal function with amplitude u0, it is needed to reach convergence.
straightforward to obtain the equivalent head losses
coefficient keq to be used in the linearized equation: 5. Estimation of the power output
8u0
keq ¼ kt . (20) A stochastic approach [12] has been used in order to
3p
estimate the power output. The total head hB(t) acting on
Then, it is possible to rewrite Eq. (14) in the linearized the system at the depth of the outer opening of the vertical
form, considering an adequacy coefficient CL (turbulent duct can be evaluated by using the linear theory of random
flow mean energy losses/laminar flow mean energy losses) wind-generated waves [21], under the hypothesis that, for a
equal to 8u0 =3p. The coefficient CL can be determined by given sea state, the hB(t) is a stationary random variable
means of an iterative procedure: starting with a temptative with a Gaussian distribution [18]. Indicating with Sh(o) the
value of the amplitude u0, the linearized differential power spectrum density of hB(t), the power spectrum
equation can be integrated and a new value can be density Sy(o) of the displacement y(t), is given by
obtained for u0. The iterations can be carried out until
the convergence on the value of u0 is obtained. Sy ðoÞ ¼ jGðoÞj2 S h ðoÞ, (27)
Considering the more realistic case of a plant interacting where G(o) is the frequency response function of the
with wind waves, a mean adequacy coefficient C L can be system, between hB(t) and y(t):
obtained as follows. Assuming that the randomly oscillat-
1
ing flow inside the duct be a stationary Gaussian process GðoÞ ¼ , (28)
with an infinitely narrow spectrum, the C L for a sequence o2 A þ ioF þ P
of wind waves (sea state) is given by where A and P are almost independent from o, while F can
Z 1 be evaluated by using the iterative procedure described in
CL ¼ C L pG ðu; su ¼ wÞ du; (21) the previous section.
0 Considering that the turbine flow coefficient j is related
where the product pG ðu; su ¼ wÞ du is the probability of a to y(t) by
velocity amplitude within the fixed small interval [u, AA 1 dy
u+du], in a sea state with a given standard deviation su j¼   , (29)
At U tip dt
equal to w. The probability density assumes the form
  the power spectrum density Sj(o) of j can be obtained
u u2 from Eq. (27)
pG ðu; su ¼ wÞ ¼ 2 exp  2 , (22)
su 2su
Sj ðoÞ ¼ joLGðoÞj2 Sh ðoÞ, (30)
which brings to
rffiffiffi where L ¼ AA/( At Utip). The variance of j can be
4 2 evaluated from
C̄ L ¼ su . (23) Z
3 p 1 þ1
The dynamic behaviour of the plant under the action of s2j ¼ Sj ðoÞ do; (31)
2p 1
sea waves is characterized by a core of waves ‘‘significant’’
and the average power absorbed by the turbine can be
acting on the upper opening of the vertical duct. We can
evaluated from
identify these significant waves as the third part of highest
waves occurring during a sea state. Consequently, calculat- 1
P̄p ¼ rU 3tip At Bt s2j . (32)
ing the average CL of the 1/3 highest waves of the velocity 2
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
P. Filianoti, S.M. Camporeale / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641
Fig. 4. Average turbine efficiency under unsteady flow with Gaussian
distribution.
Under the hypothesis that hB(t) is a Gaussian process,
also j(t) is a Gaussian process. Therefore, neglecting the
effects of unsteadiness on the instantaneous turbine
efficiency, the average power output is given by
Z þ1
1
P̄t ¼ rU 3tip At Bt ZðjÞj2 pG ðj; sj ¼ wÞ dj, (33)
2 0
where Zt(j) is the turbine efficiency got under stationary
conditions. The average turbine efficiency Z̄t can be
obtained from
R þ1
P̄t Zt ðjÞj2 pG ðj; sj ¼ wÞ dj
Z̄t ¼ ¼ 0 , (34)
P̄p s2j
which shows that, under the hypothesis of a Gaussian
process, the average turbine efficiency can be determined
from the steady-state turbine efficiency as a function of
jrms  sj , as shown in Fig. 4. It appears that under unsteady
flow condition, the maximum of the average turbine
efficiency, Z̄t , is lower than the maximum of the stationary
efficiency, Zt. The reason is that, during part of the period of
the flow oscillation, the turbine works in conditions where the
efficiency is low or negative. Nevertheless, being Zt weighted
averaged by absorbed power as weight, this decrement of the
efficiency is relatively small, since when the turbine works
with low efficiency, also the absorbed power is small.
6. Results
The system examined in this work (Fig. 5) has been
designed for a breakwater to be installed off La Spezia
(Italy) coasts. The main difference from the scheme in
Fig. 1, concerns the clepsydra shape of the vertical duct,
adopted in order to reduce the turbine diameter, while
increasing its rotational speed. The integration of the local
derivative qv̄=qt of Eq. (7), along a streamline correspond-
ing to the clepsydra axis is straightforward, taking into
account the geometrical shape of the duct.
637
The incoming mean wave energy rate per meter has been
estimated by means of the relation
1
F ¼ 0:85 rg2 H 2s T p , (35)
64p
which is characteristic of a sea state (i.e. a sequence of a few
hundred of wind-generated waves) with a significant wave
height Hs and a peak period Tp [22]. The significant wave
height is defined as four times the standard deviation of the
surface displacement. Eq. (30) has been obtained analyti-
cally from the general theory of sea states [23] applying the
mean JONSWAP (Joint North Sea Wave Project) spec-
trum expression [24] with the dispersion function proposed
by Mitsuyasu [25]. For this spectrum, the following
relationship can be considered valid [16]
sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
Hs
T p ¼ 8:5p : (36)
4g
The resonance condition is obtained whenever the eigen-
frequency of the system
pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
on ¼ P=A (37)
is equal to the peak frequency op ¼ 2p=T p of the spectrum
of the incident wave. In order to meet such a condition, the
geometry of the caisson has been designed taking into
account the typical range of Tp for the considered location.
Adjustment of the height z0 that allows the system to meet
the resonance condition can be obtained by varying the
amount of air in the plenum chamber through the
regulation system.
In order to evaluate the system behaviour under the
wave action, the total head hB at the depth of the outer
opening of the vertical duct were numerically simulated
using the linear theory of random wind-generated waves
[21] and assuming that these pressure fluctuations depend
only on the frequency spectrum [16] which was assumed to
be the JONSWAP spectrum [24]. The effects of amplifica-
tion due to the reflection of the wave on the breakwater
were not considered.
In order to validate the linearization procedure, the
system has been numerically simulated by means of the
stochastic method and by numerically integrating in
the time domain the non-linear differential equation given
in Eq. (7). Initially, in order to outline the linearization
procedure as far as continuous and minor losses are
concerned, the turbine damping coefficient Bt has been
evaluated from the ideal coefficient given in Eq. (1). Time
integration has been carried out considering a long time
interval equal to 2000 times Tp in order to reduce the effects
of the initial conditions and random variability.
Here, the turbine diameter has been assumed equal to
the duct diameter with a hub-to-tip ratio h ¼ 0.66, and
solidity s ¼ 0.1.
Table 1 shows the results obtained by applying both the
numerical procedures to the evaluation of the average
power P̄a ¼ ðP̄p þ P̄w Þ absorbed by the REWEC system,
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
638 P. Filianoti, S.M. Camporeale / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641
Fig. 5. Scheme of the submerged wave energy converter with clepsydra shape vertical duct [15].
the average power absorbed by the turbine, P̄p , and, finally,
the average turbine power output, P̄t . The results obtained
by integration of the non-linear differential equation are
given under the columns indicated by ‘‘N.L.’’, while the
results obtained by the stochastic approach to the
linearized differential equation are given under the column
indicated by ‘‘L.M.’’. The percentage of difference between
the results of the two methods are given under column
‘‘diff.’’. It appears that, for every considered sea state, the
according between the results obtained through the two
numerical methodologies is almost complete, even with
high significant wave heights. At high values of Hs, the
numerical simulation in the time domain has revealed that
the outer opening of the duct may be sometimes not
submerged. This introduce a non-linear effect that was not
considered; however, its influence on the time averaged
results seems to be negligible.
The proposed method is strictly applicable if the turbine
characteristic (Dp*-j) is linear. The characteristic curve
obtained from simulation (Fig. 3) appears to be linear only
for the very first part, with very low velocity fluctuations.
In order to take into account the real turbine characteristic
curve, the turbine damping coefficient Bt, has been put in
relationship with the rms of the flow coefficient:
Z þ1
B̄t ¼ Bt ðjÞpG ðj; sj ¼ wÞ dj. (38)
0
The above equation provide a time average of Bt on the
basis of the probability of obtaining a flow coefficient j
during a sea state characterized by a standard deviation
sj ¼ w.
The simulations have been repeated considering the
actual characteristic for the non-linear model and the
average value of Bt for the stochastic method. The results
given in Table 1 show that Pa, Pp are well predicted by the
stochastic method while the power output Pt is over
predicted by about 15–20%. The error is, however, less
than 1% if it is evaluated as a percentage of incident wave
power.
The results show that the power output reaches its
maximum for an intermediate value of Hs ¼ 2.75 m; for
higher values of Hs the power output decreases due to the
lower turbine efficiency. At high values of Hs (42.75 m),
the actual turbine characteristic causes high values of jrms,
and, consequently, low average turbine efficiency.
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Table 1
Comparison of the plant performance given by the non-linear model (N.L.) and by the linearized model (L.M.)

Hs (m) F (kW/m) P̄a (kW/m) P̄p (kW/m) P̄t (kW/m)

N.L. L.M. Diff. (%) N.L. L.M. Diff. (%) N.L. L.M. Diff. (%)

Constant Bt (Eq. (1))

1.25 27.2 8.6 8.7 1.9 8.5 8.6 0.1 6.1 6.0 0.7
2.25 122 33.3 33.9 1.7 32.8 32.7 0.0 24.8 25.1 1.2
3.25 321.4 78.8 80.2 1.7 76.3 76.1 0.2 36.1 36.5 1.2
4.25 653.8 145.3 147.7 1.6 138.4 137.8 0.4 35.6 36.3 1.9
5.25 1135 232.9 236.6 1.6 218.5 217.1 0.7 29.8 30.9 3.7
Non-linear turbine characteristic curve Dp*-j
1.25 27.2 8.6 8.7 1.4 8.6 8.6 0.2 6.1 6.0 0.9
2.25 122 40 40.7 1.8 37.4 38.1 2.1 21.4 26.3 22.9
3.25 321.4 109.3 112.8 3.2 93.7 95.3 1.8 21.1 24.0 13.9
4.25 653.8 211.1 215.5 2.1 169.6 168.6 0.6 14.2 16.1 13.3
5.25 1135 344.3 349.2 1.4 262 256.7 2.0 6.8 8.7 28.4

Fig. 6. Influence of the turbine damping factor on the plant performance at different sea states.

The influence of the turbine damping coefficient Ft on
the system behaviour is examined in Fig. 6. It appears that
Pp is maximized by low values of Ft but, at such low values
of Ft, the corresponding values of jrms are too high to give
good average turbine efficiency, as it is shown in Fig. 4.
The best trade-off for Ft, which maximizes the annual
energy output, has been found in proximity of the values of
Ft able to determine a range of variation for jrms for which
the turbine can be operated within the best efficiency
conditions.
7. Annual energy production
In order to evaluate the contribution of each sea
state to the annual energy output, for the locality of
La Spezia (Italy), the range of significant wave heights
[0.5 m, 6.0 m ] has been divided into 11 intervals 0.5 m
each. For each interval of significant wave heights centred
in HS,i, the probability pi of a sea state with HS,i
70.25 m is obtained from the Weibull distribution in two
parameters:
    
up h up 1 h up
pW ðH s ¼ hÞ ¼ exp  , (39)
wp wp wp
where the parameters up and wp assume characteristic
values, depending on the examined location [16].
The energy contribution of each sea state is represented
in Fig. 7 which shows, for each sea state, the annual energy
absorbed by the plant, Ea, the turbine available energy, Ep,
and, finally, the energy output, Et. Calculations have been
carried out assuming the parameters of the Weibull’s
probability distribution, up and wp, equal to 1.023 and
0.731, respectively. In this case the turbine rotational speed
was assumed Utip ¼ 11 m/s, constant for all the sea states.
The sea states with significant height Hso0.5 m have been
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640 P. Filianoti, S.M. Camporeale / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641

Fig. 7. Annual energy contribution of different sea state (turbine rotating at constant speed).

Fig. 8. Annual energy contribution and optimal tip blade velocity of a variable speed turbine.

not taken into account since, in these cases, the axial
velocities are too small to produce useful power output.
It appears that the annual energy output of the sea states
with Hso0.5 m is low due to a poor turbine efficiency
caused by very low values of jrms obtained under this
condition. The most relevant contribution to the energy
output are from the sea states within 1.25–2.25 m, while a
significant decrement of the turbine efficiency is observed
for HsX2.75 m, due to the high values of jrms. The global
wave-to-shaft conversion efficiency [26] (annual energy
output/incident wave energy) is around 15% while the
energy absorbed by the plant is globally about 32% of the
incident wave energy.
The energy output can be much improved by varying the
turbine rotational speed. An optimization procedure has
been carried out in order to determine, for each sea state,
the optimal rotational speed. The annual energy contribu-
tion of each sea state is represented in Fig. 8. It appears
that the variation of the rotational speed has a limited
influence on the wave energy absorbed by the plant, Ea,i
and on the turbine available energy, Ep,i, while the turbine
energy output is much improved. Fig. 8 show also the
optimal Utip at the different sea states obtained from
simulation. It appears that the optimization procedure
‘‘drives’’ the rotational speed to the values able to optimize
the turbine efficiency, since the available power, Pp, seems
to be less sensitive to the variation of Utip.
The global (wave-to-shaft) conversion efficiency ob-
tained in this case is 23.2%, corresponding to
Et ¼ 5289 (kWh/m)/year, while the energy absorbed by
the plant is 30.7% of the incident wave energy. The
advantages given by variable speed turbine operation
suggest the opportunity of evaluating, from an economical
point of view, the use of the electric frequency conversion
equipments needed to operate the turbine at variable speed.
8. Conclusions
Under the hypothesis of random sea waves, an original
methodology has been proposed for linearizing the
differential equation describing the behaviour of the
REWEC system proposed by Boccotti [18]. The procedure
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
P. Filianoti, S.M. Camporeale / Renewable Energy 33 (2008) 631–641
developed to determine the equivalent loss coefficient C̄ L to
be used in the linearized model, in order to take into
account continuous and minor losses, has been shown.
The linearized mathematical model has been developed,
showing the mechanical analogy to a mass–spring–damper
system. The proposed procedure allows one to evaluate the
system eigen-frequency as a function of the system
characteristics, as well as the amount of air in caisson
needed to reach the resonance conditions.
The linearized model has been used to estimate the
power output by means of a stochastic approach in the
frequency domain. The model results show a very good
agreement with the non-linear model, even with very high
wave heights. The methodology has been also extended to
consider a turbine with a non-linear characteristic curve:
also in this case the adopted procedure showed good results
for the whole considered range of variation of wave
heights.
The linearization procedure is general and may be
usefully applied to other kind of OWC devices in order
to take into account non-linearities coming from head
losses or turbine characteristic curve.
A plant, designed for the locality of La Spezia (Italy),
has been considered. Under optimized turbine rotational
speed, the plant absorbs up to more than 30% on the
annual incident wave energy. In terms of annual energy
output, about 15% of the incident wave energy is made
available to the turbine shaft by using a turbine rotating at
constant speed while up to 23.2% can be converted by
using a variable speed turbine.
From these promising results, it appears the potential of
the REWEC system as a WEC also in the Mediterranean
sea. It should be outlined that, for this application,
characterized by low intensity wave energy, some features
of the submerged REWEC system (low environment
impact, protection of the coasts from wave-induced erosion
and the creation of a water sheet with attenuated wave
motion) are very appealing and, therefore, encourage
further work either to optimize the system design or to
investigate its technological aspects, in order to make the
REWEC system a novel technology in the field of the
renewable energy sources.
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