Document Type

Poster Presentation

Publication Date

Summer 2025

Abstract

Oscillating Water Columns (OWCs) are among the most promising wave energy converters for harnessing renewable power from ocean waves. These systems use a bi-directional airflow to drive a Wells turbine connected to a generator. However, the turbine’s efficiency is limited by flow separation and stall at high angles of attack. To address this, we investigated the effect of passive flow control by adding stability strips along the suction side of the turbine blades. The unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations, coupled with the k–ω SST turbulence model, were solved in ANSYS CFX 2025 R1 to evaluate the aerodynamic performance. Non-dimensional performance parameters, including the torque coefficient, pressure drop coefficient, and efficiency, were analyzed. Four configurations, with strips placed at 50%, 55%, 60%, and 65% of the blade chord, were simulated. Flow visualizations revealed that the strips generated leading-edge vortices, triggering early stall and reducing torque and overall efficiency. These results suggest that improper placement of passive devices can degrade performance, emphasizing the importance of optimized strip positioning for stall control.

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