Validation of a numerical model for a small scale fixed multi-chamber OWC device

Wave Energy Converters (WECs) have excellent potential as a source of renewable energy that is yet to be commercially realised. Recent attention has been focused on the installation of Oscillating Water Column (OWC) devices as part of breakwaters or harbour walls to provide advantages of cost-sharing structures and proximity of power generation facilities to existing infrastructure. In this paper, a time domain numerical model of a fixed Multi-Chamber Oscillating Water Column (MC-OWC) is developed in MATLAB. This model is validated against a scale model experiments performed in a wave flume and good agreement is found. The validated model is used to investigate the effect of the power take-off damping on device performance parameters for a given environmental condition.