Numerical modelling of nearshore wave energy resource in the Sea of Iroise

Abstract

a b s t r a c tAn unstructured version of SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore) is implemented in the Sea of Iroise (western Europe) to assess the wave energy resource at high spatial resolutions in coastal areas. Numerical results are compared with available measurements of the significant wave height and the peak period at nine locations including (1) long-term offshore observations and (2) medium to short-term data acquired during field campaigns. A medium-term evaluation of the wave energy resource for a eight-years period (2004e2011) is performed exhibiting major nearshore energetic patterns off the isles of Ushant and Sein and in the coastal areas of the bay of Audierne, the Crozon Peninsula and the northern coastline. The variability of wave power production is estimated revealing in accordance with numerical modelling conducted over the European shelf seas significant inter-seasonal and inter-annual evolutions of the resource in the Sea of Iroise. These changes appear particularly noticeable during the winter period with opposite situations in the distribution of monthly average wave energy flux. In the perspective of the implementation of wave energy converters devices, the present assessment is finally exploited to investigate the local distributions of wave energy flux against periods and directions in areas of maximum mean wave power.

Assessment of Renewable Sources for the Energy Consumption in Malta in the Mediterranean Sea

“…During these years, different works focused their attention on the assessment of wave energy potential along the Mediterranean Sea. For example, Iglesias et al evaluated the energy potential along Spanish coasts [22], Guillou and Chapalain on French coasts [23], and Vicinanza et al on Italian coasts [24].…”

Annual and seasonal variabilities in the performances of wave energy converters

“…2 (France, Fig. 1, Section 2.1), which is one of the most wave energetic region along the coast of France with averaged annual wave power estimated around 40 kW m −1 in offshore waters [29,30]. This evaluation referred to three well-known WECs technologies that were widely considered in the numerical assessments of devices performances and reached the stage of full-scale testing in the marine environment (Tab.…”

Tidal Turbines’ Layout in a Stream with Asymmetry and Misalignment

“…The horizontal eddy viscosity is parametrized following Smagorinsky [28] while the vertical viscosity is computed with the mixing length model proposed by Quetin [29]. Whereas Brittany may be subjected to strong stormy waves [30][31][32] liable to interact with tidal currents in stream energy sites [21,33], the influence of wind-generated surface-gravity waves is disregarded in the present investigation assuming that the tide is the dominant hydrodynamic forcing. As thermal fronts develop at the west of the isle of Sein and in the entrance of bays with tidally-mixed waters in the "Raz de Sein" [34,35], the influence of density gradients on currents is also disregarded in the present study.…”