Abstract
Within WEC numerical modeling there exists a range of different simulation tools available - from low/mid-fidelity potential flow-based codes (e.g. WAMIT, WEC-Sim) to high-fidelity CFD and SPH codes (e.g. OpenFOAM, DualSPHysics). In recent years, WEC-Sim has become a popular tool for exploring device design spaces - enabling performance estimates to be obtained for a wide range of systems across a wide range of operating conditions. However, high-fidelity simulations are still required to accurately simulate complex FSI - and may provide highly different load profiles compared to potential flow-based results.
This presentation describes ongoing work to help bridge these siloed tools - including a rewrite of core WEC-Sim hydrodynamics in C++, which has enabled potential flow-based simulations with the multibody dynamics code, Project Chrono. This code has already been coupled to the CFD code, Proteus and the SPH code, DualSPHysics - offering a route towards validation and more focused investigations of any designs that emerge from the mid-fidelity modelling process.
Furthermore, this presentation describes ongoing development of the Python-based BEM code, Capytaine - enabling tighter integration with time-domain models for more effective design optimization.