Design and performance study of oscillating hydrofoil-wave energy conversion device

An oscillating hydrofoil-wave energy conversion device was developed to address the challenge of self-supply for ocean vehicles by harnessing wave energy for electricity generation. This study focuses on the numerical simulation of the device’s hydrodynamic characteristics and energy capture performance. The paper begins by establishing a hydrodynamic numerical analysis model using CFD technology for the multi-body hinged system. The hydrodynamic characteristics of this system are examined under various wave conditions. Subsequently, an energy conversion model for the multi-body hinged system, considering a nonlinear power take-off (PTO) system, is established through an equivalent damping simulation method. This model is used to investigate the power generation performance and energy conversion efficiency of the cylindrically oscillating hydrofoil multi-body hinged system under different damping coefficients and wave conditions. The research findings indicate that the motion characteristics and wave energy capture efficiency of the hydrofoil are significantly influenced by the wave height, period, and damping coefficient of the PTO system. In addition, there are differences in energy harvesting effect between front and rear oscillating hydrofoils. The maximum power generation efficiency achieved by the oscillating hydrofoil-wave energy conversion device reaches 21.68%, with an anticipated peak power output of 1.84 kW under real sea conditions.