A new numerical modelling framework for fixed oscillating water column wave energy conversion device combining BEM and CFD methods: Validation with experiments

The Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave energy converter has been shown to have high potential, thus rendering extensive development in recent years. In order to further accelerate its development, highly accurate yet computationally efficient tools are necessary particularly when studying the interaction of multiple OWC devices. This paper...

Dynamic Mesh Simulations in OpenFOAM: A Hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian Approach

The past few decades have witnessed a growing popularity in Eulerian–Lagrangian solvers due to their significant potential for simulating aerodynamic flows, particularly in cases involving strong body–vortex interactions. In this hybrid approach, the two component solvers are mutually coupled in a two-way fashion. Initially, the Lagrangian...

Coupling of OpenFOAM with a Lagrangian vortex particle method for external aerodynamic simulations

In the field of computational aerodynamics, it is vital to develop tools that can accurately, but also efficiently, simulate the flow around bluff objects and calculate the aerodynamic forces acting on them. When strong body–vortex interactions take place, the simulations become more demanding, since complex phenomena appear. To address this...

Towards simulating flow induced spillage in dredge cutter heads using DEM-FVM

When dredging rock using a Cutter Suction Dredger the high amount of spillage is problematic, since it prevents an energy efficient removal process. This papers presents a coupled DEM-FVM method to simulate spillage, that can be used for optimizing the design and working method of the Cutter Suction Dredger. In these simulations, the challenge...

CFD Simulation of a Floating Wind Turbine with OpenFOAM: an FSI approach based on the actuator line and relaxation zone methods

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) have the potential to harness wind resources in deepwater, which is so far prohibitive for conventional approaches. This, however, comes at a cost: the platform’s extra degrees of freedom (DoFs) introduce complex aerodynamic and hydrodynamic behaviours. Therefore, FOWTs must be accurately modeled to reduce...

Modelling Spillage in Rotating Cutter Suction Heads: A combined Finite Volume and Discrete Element Model

Due to an increased demand for transport, ships become larger, needing a larger navigable depth. For these reasons a waterway needs to be dredged and a Cutter Suction Dredger is a vessel suitable for this operation.<br/><br/>A Cutter Suction Dredger is a floating vessel which removes sand, clay or soft rock from sea or river beds. It has a...

Wind farm wake flow recovery with the use of kites

With an ever increasing demand for sustainable energy, limitations of current sustainable technologies are studied widely. In wind farms, the so-called wake effect provides the biggest limitation on wind farm total power output. Using wind from the unaffected boundary layer to re-energize the wind flow in the wake provides a method of limiting...

CFD-DEM Coupling for Systems of Fluid and Non-Spherical Particles

The models for CFD-DEM coupling for fluid-particles simulations are explored. Emphasis is given to the implementation of a multisphere approach to handle non-spherical particles and to improvements of current features available in software packages. Some tests and applications are proposed.

Modeling of periodic non-smooth motion using the harmonic balance method

The company Deepwater Energy BV, Netherlands developed a unique water turbine called as the Oryon Watermill (OWM). It was the aim of the company to obtain an efficient numerical model for the turbine. A numerical model, which serves as a good starting point, has already been developed by Maniyara [1]. This model suffered from certain limitations...

Modeling of high speed erosion with a morphological updating routine

Erosion is a phenomenon present in several industrial processes. In dredging, the jetting of sand in drag heads erodes the sand bed. In construction of offshore infrastructure such as wind turbines, oil and gas production units, marine pipelines, erosion of material near the foundations can put the stability of structures at stake. Furthermore,...