Evaluation of the performance of the wave energy converter CECO in the Portuguese nearshore at different water depths

Abstract

The CECO concept was designed to convert simultaneously thekinetic and potential energy of ocean waves into electricity, and presentedpromising performances in previous experimental and numerical studies.This paper analyses in detail the performance of CECO in the Portuguesenearshore at two different operating water depths, based on the capturedenergy and captured energy efficiency. It was concluded that the powerabsorption of CECO is highly sensitive to the wave characteristics,namely the significant wave height and the peak wave period. The waterdepth has a relatively low impact on the captured power. In addition, itwas found that the tested CECO unit is more suitable for wave conditionsless energetic than the ones typical of the Portuguese West coast. Finally,some limitations of the current design are discussed and optimizationworks are proposed.