(7)Experimental studies on the flow characteristics in an inclined bend-free OWC device

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Krishnil Ravinesh Ram ^a, Mohammed Rafiuddin Ahmed ^a,∗, Mohammed Asid Zullah ^b, Young-Ho Lee ^b
a Division of Mechanical Engineering, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
^bDivision of Mechanical and Energy System Engineering, Korean Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, Republic of Korea
Received 8 July 2015; received in revised form 28 September 2015; accepted 8 October 2015
Available online 3 February 2016

Abstract
  A bend-free rectangular cross-section OWC device was designed and constructed for studying the effect of inclination on the flow characteristics inside the device. The inclination is meant to reduce reflection of waves and induce higher velocities in the turbine section. Experimental measurements were made in a wave channel where the OWC device was tested. An S-type Pitot tube was used to measure dynamic pressure of air in the turbine section at several inclinations. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was also done to study the flow of both air and water in the OWC device. In order to focus solely on primary energy capture, no turbine was installed in the OWC device. The dynamic pressure readings were analysed for suction and compression stages. Water volume fluctuations inside the capture chamber were also recorded and compared for different inclinations. The result was an increase in the velocity of air flowing in the capture chamber and hence a rise in the kinetic energy available to the turbine. It was found from experimental studies that as the angle of inclination reduced, the velocity of air in the turbine section increased. The lower angles also caused higher run-up and larger volume of water into the capture chamber.
© 2015 Shanghai Jiaotong University. Published by Elsevier B.V.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Keywords: Oscillating water column; Particle Image Velocimetry; Wave energy.