Abstract

The development of WEC relies on a correct description of its response to the wave loads. Therefore, it is essential to have RAO’s in regular waves for a preliminary design stage. For this purpose, a RANS-CFD method was selected and a corresponding setup was prepared to validate results with experiments carried out in the wave tank of Universidad Austral de Chile. The tests in the wave tank with wave generators are complex and unique for each body and condition, and require the design and construction of special components such as specific power take-offs or scaled mooring systems. Therefore, validated CFD results of response and wave forces is a key aspect as a first approximation to speed up the investigation. In the present work, RANS (Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes), transient simulations with an overset mesh method, carried out for a generic point absorber in order to obtain its behavior in waves.