Date of Award
12-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Committee Chair/Advisor
Hassan Masoud
Committee Member
John R. Saylor
Committee Member
Joshua B. Bostwick
Committee Member
Zhen Li
Abstract
Ocean waves are a clean and renewable energy source that can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels and combat climate change. To capture this energy, researchers have developed devices known as wave energy converters (WECs). One common type, called a two-body point absorber WEC, uses a buoy floating on the ocean surface connected to a submerged reaction plate, known as the heave plate, which lies underwater. The relative up-and-down motion between the buoy and the heave plate, driven by ocean waves, generates usable power via a power take-off (PTO) system. Traditionally, these submerged heave plates are solid structures. However, this thesis explores whether making these plates porous, by strategically introducing pores, could enhance their effectiveness. Porous plates allow engineers to control how water flows around and through them, providing two distinct advantages. First, for offshore structures like floating platforms, porous plates can be designed to significantly increase damping, which effectively reduces unwanted movement, improves stability, and protects the structure during extreme conditions such as storms by reducing wave-induced forces. Second, specifically for WECs, porous heave plates can be carefully tuned to optimize the relative motion between the plate and surface buoy, enhancing energy conversion efficiency. To investigate these effects, this research develops detailed mathematical models and demonstrates how different pore sizes and arrangements influence the hydrodynamic performance of heave plates and, in turn, WECs. Results reveal scenarios where porous plates provide both increased stability for offshore platforms and improved energy capture efficiency for WECs, and also offer the prospect of reducing structural strain in extreme environmental conditions. These findings offer valuable guidance for engineers designing safer, more reliable, and efficient marine renewable energy systems.
Recommended Citation
Usman, Muhammad, "Hydrodynamics of Perforated Heave Plates" (2025). All Dissertations. 4183.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4183