Abstract
The floating oscillating water column (FOWC) is an interesting wave energy extraction device attributable to its ability to be used in vast areas of the ocean, especially in offshore regions with large energy reserves. However, high construction costs render the technology less competitive when compared to other energy extraction systems. Adding a breakwater to the FOWC in a hybrid system helps to overcome this problem. Although many recent studies have focused on the hydrodynamic performance of a WEC-breakwater hybrid system, there is a dearth of research about a FOWC-breakwater hybrid system. This study looks into the hydrodynamic performance of a FOWC-breakwater hybrid system. Variables such as the wave period, gap between FOWC and breakwater, and breakwater size were tested to determine the optimal performance. A numerical wave tank with a k-epsilon turbulence model was used to calculate hydrodynamic coefficients such as the reflection, amplification, pressure, and transmission coefficients, energy extraction efficiency, gap wave elevation, and gap velocity ratio. The results demonstrate that the optimal performance for the studied FOWC-breakwater hybrid system was obtained for the highest wave frequency or lowest wave period, from the ranges studied. As for the FOWC-breakwater gap and breakwater size, a narrow gap and a small breakwater size, from the ranges studied, show a more favorable result.