Oscillating Water Column
Maine Maritime won the phase I competition to evaluate optimum parameters for the construction of a full scale OWC device earlier this spring. The grant is underwritten by the DOE through Concepts NREC. Students will complete Capstone requirements this year by testing and evaluating two possible designs for the OWC device and compare energy extraction for each device. The students will also construct a “multi- angle plunger-type wave maker” to generate various wave spectra and the response of these devices to the various wave profiles. Empirical data will be compared to mathematical models in order to scale results for larger devices. Several SNAME student members are involved with this project and research will be ongoing through 2012.
Students testing the OWC device in Phase I of the
project
Represents MMA’s empirical data of chamber
pressures compared to numerical data generated by Concepts NREC