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A theoretical approach is applied to describe the diffraction of water waves by a structure in a channel of arbitrary configuration. The solution was achieved by applying the three-dimensional (3D) boundary element method and is valid for a structure of arbitrary shape. The derived model was applied to analyze the effect of the structure geometry and the configuration of the channel on diffracted wave field and on generalized wave-load components. The results show that the wave field in the channel and wave loads on a structure strongly depend on wavelength and the geometry of the structure. The far-field wave amplitudes and wave load components oscillate with increasing wave number, and for selected wave frequencies, the incoming waves are fully transmitted and forces on the structure simultaneously vanish. This result is of practical importance. The oscillations depend primarily on the length of the structure and are associated with the formation of partially standing waves in the subdomain along the structure, which affect wave reflection in the main channel and wave loads on the structure. The effect of the draft and width of the structure on the oscillations is very limited. However, the draft and width of a structure has a substantial effect on the magnitude of wave reflection and transmission, especially for narrow channels. Moreover, the draft and width of a structure has a substantial effect on wave-load components. The analysis of the results indicates that it is difficult to simplify a theoretical description because, even for a channel of a constant depth and ideal vertical walls, once a structure is present in the channel, the problem needs to be described by 3D formulation, which complicates the solution. Theoretical results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional numerical solution was developed to determine the wave field in a narrow channel with side porous caves. The solution was achieved by applying the boundary element method. The model was applied to determine the effect of the geometry of caves and the physical and hydraulic properties of the porous material in the caves on the wave field in the channel. The results show that the cave geometry and the physical and hydraulic properties of porous material in the cave have a significant effect on the wave field in a channel. Wave transmission down the channel usually decreases with increasing cave length and cave width and decreases with increasing porosity. Moreover, wave transmission usually decreases with increasing wave-damping properties for porous material of low damping properties and increases with increasing wave-damping properties for porous material of high damping properties. A reduction of wave transmission down the channel, often substantial, can usually be achieved by increasing the porosity and increasing the wave-damping properties of the porous material. The results and additional analysis show that a reasonable wave transmission level can be achieved even for fairly short porous caves and that the model can be applied to select an optimal cave system for any prespecified conditions. Theoretical results are found to be in reasonable agreement with experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the potential flow theory, a second-order Higher-Order Boundary Element Method model is developed to simulate hydrodynamic loads and pressure on a stationary cylindrical-type oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter. Quadratic pneumatic damping and additional viscous damping are introduced to simulate the effects of the power take-off and the viscous dissipation inside the chamber, respectively. The proposed model is verified against a carefully instrumented scaled experiment. The effects of the chamber geometry and the wave environment on the hydrodynamic loads of the OWC device are then explored using the validated model. The resonance excited by the second-order wave component is observed with the fundamental frequency being half of the natural frequency. This resembles a sloshing mode and leads to a significant increase in hydrodynamic pressure and surge force as well as pitch moment. The effects of the second-order waves cannot be ignored under the action of the low-frequency long waves. In addition, the surge force and the pitch moment are not sensitive to the variation in the orifice opening ratios, while the heave force increases with the opening ratio at a resonant heave frequency. • Nonlinear wave dynamic on a stationary cylindrical-type OWC device was investigated. • A second-order time-domain HOBEM model for OWC dynamics was developed. • A second-order sloshing resonance is observed inside the OWC chamber. • The effects of the opening ratio on the OWC device are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]