IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v248y2025ics096014812500789x.html

Wave effects on energy-harvesting performance of flapping hydrofoil

Author

Listed:
  • Qu, Hengliang
  • Li, Xueyan
  • Dong, Xiaochen

Abstract

A two-dimensional (2D) wave-current numerical flume and fully activated hydrofoil numerical model were established to investigate the effects of traveling waves on the energy-harvesting performance of a flapping hydrofoil tidal current energy (TCE) device. The hydrodynamic and energy-harvesting performances of the hydrofoil were investigated under various conditions, including wave heights (0–1.8 times the chord length), pitching amplitudes (40°–80°), submerged depths (3–18 times the chord length), and frequency ratios (0.5–1.5). To reveal the underlying mechanisms of the wave effects, the flow field structures, hydrodynamic lift and torque were analyzed, along with energy-harvesting performance. Both the efficiency and power coefficient increased with increasing wave height and decreasing submerged depth. Compared with other frequency ratios, the hydrofoil achieved optimal energy harvesting efficiency across a broad range of pitching amplitudes when the frequency ratio was 1.0. Maximum efficiency and power coefficient values of 0.42 and 1.02, respectively, were obtained when the wave height was 1.8 times the chord length, submersion depth was 3 times the chord length, and pitching amplitude was 60°. Base on the water particle velocity distribution in the wave theory, the enhanced energy-harvesting performance is primarily attributable to the increased angle of attack induced by wave effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Qu, Hengliang & Li, Xueyan & Dong, Xiaochen, 2025. "Wave effects on energy-harvesting performance of flapping hydrofoil," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:248:y:2025:i:c:s096014812500789x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.123127
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096014812500789X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2025.123127?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Qian, Peng & Feng, Bo & Liu, Hao & Tian, Xiange & Si, Yulin & Zhang, Dahai, 2019. "Review on configuration and control methods of tidal current turbines," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 125-139.
    2. Zhang, Yongkuang & Han, Xinyang & Hu, Yuxuan & Chen, Xihan & Li, Zhuohang & Gao, Feng & Chen, Weixing, 2024. "Dual-function flapping hydrofoil: Energy capture and propulsion in ocean waves," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    3. Zhang, Yongkuang & Feng, Yongjun & Chen, Weixing & Gao, Feng, 2022. "Effect of pivot location on the semi-active flapping hydrofoil propulsion for wave glider from wave energy extraction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    4. Kinsey, T. & Dumas, G. & Lalande, G. & Ruel, J. & Méhut, A. & Viarouge, P. & Lemay, J. & Jean, Y., 2011. "Prototype testing of a hydrokinetic turbine based on oscillating hydrofoils," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 1710-1718.
    5. Deng, Jian & Wang, Shuhong & Kandel, Prabal & Teng, Lubao, 2022. "Effects of free surface on a flapping-foil based ocean current energy extractor," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 933-944.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liu, Zhen & Qu, Hengliang & Song, Xinyu & Chen, Zhengshou, 2025. "A state-of-the-art review on energy-harvesting performance of the flapping hydrofoil with influential parameters," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    2. Milad Shadman & Corbiniano Silva & Daiane Faller & Zhijia Wu & Luiz Paulo de Freitas Assad & Luiz Landau & Carlos Levi & Segen F. Estefen, 2019. "Ocean Renewable Energy Potential, Technology, and Deployments: A Case Study of Brazil," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-37, September.
    3. Zhu, Bing & Huang, Yun & Zhang, Yongming, 2018. "Energy harvesting properties of a flapping wing with an adaptive Gurney flap," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 119-128.
    4. Dominic Cloutier & Mathieu Olivier & Guy Dumas, 2025. "A Parametric Study of a Fully Passive Oscillating Foil Turbine on a Swinging Arm in a Tandem Configuration," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-26, June.
    5. Rostami, Ali Bakhshandeh & Armandei, Mohammadmehdi, 2017. "Renewable energy harvesting by vortex-induced motions: Review and benchmarking of technologies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 193-214.
    6. Zou, Yidong & Hu, Wenqing & Xiao, Zhihuai & Wang, Yunhe & Chen, Jinbao & Zheng, Yang & Qian, Jing & Zeng, Yun, 2023. "Design of intelligent nonlinear robust controller for hydro-turbine governing system based on state-dynamic-measurement hybrid feedback linearization method," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 635-651.
    7. Wang, Zhangyuan & Xu, Wenhua & Han, Xuliang & Li, Ruipeng & Gong, Jiaye & Cui, Weicheng & Fan, Dixia, 2025. "A low cost strategy on energy harvesting of flapping foil with time-warping optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 337(C).
    8. Liu, Zhen & Qu, Hengliang & Song, Xinyu & Chen, Zhengshou & Ni, Heqiang, 2023. "Energy-harvesting performance of tandem coupled-pitching hydrofoils under the semi-activated mode: An experimental study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    9. Deng, Jian & Wang, Shuhong & Kandel, Prabal & Teng, Lubao, 2022. "Effects of free surface on a flapping-foil based ocean current energy extractor," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 933-944.
    10. Ma, Penglei & Yang, Zhihong & Wang, Yong & Liu, Haibin & Xie, Yudong, 2017. "Energy extraction and hydrodynamic behavior analysis by an oscillating hydrofoil device," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 648-659.
    11. Zhang, Jiacheng & Yu, Yang & Li, Hengyu & Zhu, Mingkang & Zhang, Sheng & Gu, Chengjie & Jiang, Lin & Wang, Zhong Lin & Zhu, Jianyang & Cheng, Tinghai, 2024. "Triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid generator with Savonius flapping wing for low-velocity water flow energy harvesting," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 357(C).
    12. Wang, Junlei & Tang, Lihua & Zhao, Liya & Zhang, Zhien, 2019. "Efficiency investigation on energy harvesting from airflows in HVAC system based on galloping of isosceles triangle sectioned bluff bodies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1066-1078.
    13. Bo Feng & Peng Qian & Yulin Si & Xiaodong Liu & Haixiao Yang & Huisheng Wen & Dahai Zhang, 2020. "Comparative Investigations of Tidal Current Velocity Prediction Considering Effect of Multi-Layer Current Velocity," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, December.
    14. Liu, Xiaodong & Feng, Bo & Liu, Di & Wang, Yiming & Zhao, Haitao & Si, Yulin & Zhang, Dahai & Qian, Peng, 2022. "Study on two-rotor interaction of counter-rotating horizontal axis tidal turbine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    15. Karbasian, H.R. & Esfahani, J.A. & Barati, E., 2015. "Simulation of power extraction from tidal currents by flapping foil hydrokinetic turbines in tandem formation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 816-824.
    16. Tian, Chenye & Liu, Xiaomin, 2024. "Numerical study on the energy extraction characteristics of a flapping foil with movable lateral flaps," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    17. Shao, Meng & Zhao, Yuanxu & Sun, Jinwei & Han, Zhixin & Shao, Zhuxiao, 2023. "A decision framework for tidal current power plant site selection based on GIS-MCDM: A case study in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(PB).
    18. Zhang, Yongkuang & Han, Xinyang & Hu, Yuxuan & Chen, Xihan & Li, Zhuohang & Gao, Feng & Chen, Weixing, 2024. "Dual-function flapping hydrofoil: Energy capture and propulsion in ocean waves," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    19. Zhang, Yue & Yang, Fuchun & Li, Yuetai & Qiu, Wenlei, 2021. "Design and numerical investigation of a multi-directional energy-harvesting device for UUVs," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    20. Si, Yulin & Liu, Xiaodong & Wang, Tao & Feng, Bo & Qian, Peng & Ma, Yong & Zhang, Dahai, 2022. "State-of-the-art review and future trends of development of tidal current energy converters in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:248:y:2025:i:c:s096014812500789x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.