Assessment of wave makers for an OpenFOAM numerical wave tank

A numerical wave tank (NWT), based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), provides a useful tool for the analysis of marine systems. Of particular interest, to the work presented herein, is the application of NWTs towards the field of wave energy conversion. NWT experiments for WECs rely on accurate wave generation and absorption at the NWT boundaries. To tackle this problem, different methodologies, termed as numerical wave makers (NWMs), are available. A NWM must posses two important features for WEC experiments: (1) the capability of generating a desired wave field (either open ocean or near shore), and (2) the ability to absorb outgoing waves at the boundaries (to mimic boundless open ocean conditions). Furthermore, handling of fluid structure interaction must be possible, allowing for stable simulations of dynamic mesh motion and accurate WEC responses to simulated waves.

The focus of the present study is assessing the capability of various types of NWMs, for wave energy experiments in an OpenFOAM NWT. The different types of available NWMs are identified, and then a proposed assessment methodology for NWM evaluation is detailed. The assessment is then applied to the different types of identified NWMs to allow a detailed comparison, which in turn enables appropriate NWM selection for NWT analysis of WECs.