Hydrodynamic performance of multi-chamber oscillating water columns in a caisson array

A theoretical model based on the linear potential flow theory and eigenfunction expansion-matching method is developed to analyze the interaction between water waves and multi-chamber oscillating water columns (OWCs) embedded in a caisson array. The semi-analytical solution consists of the diffraction and radiation components of periodic OWCs. The velocity singularity at the tip of the OWC chamber walls is resolved by implementing a Chebyshev polynomial expansion. The unknown expansion coefficients are determined by the continuity equations of velocity and pressure at the interface of subdomains. The semi-analytical solution is verified using the Haskind relation and the conservation law of wave energy flux. It is found that multi-chamber OWCs have higher hydrodynamic efficiency over a broader frequency bandwidth than traditional single- and dual-chamber OWCs. The maximum hydrodynamic efficiency η increases with increasing of chamber number (J), from 0.5 (J = 1) to nearly 1.0 (J = 8 and 12). It is also found that a larger incident wave angle leads to a narrower frequency bandwidth for energy capturing. Increasing the incident wave angle from π/3 to 5π/12 results in a decrease of the first cutoff frequency kc from 2.41 to 2.02, and therefore results in the energy capture bandwidth narrowing accordingly. Both constructive and destructive hydrodynamic interactions between caissons array and OWCs are observed over the tested frequency range. Interestingly, when configuration of the OWC chambers is reversed, the transmission coefficient remains unchanged.