Characteristics of the flow around a circular OWC-type wave energy converter supported by a bottom-sitting C-shaped structure

Flow characteristics in the vicinity of a bottom-sitting wave energy converter are important for understanding the wave loading on and the local scour around the structure. Based on three-dimensional numerical simulation results, key features of the vortex flow in the vicinity of a circular oscillating water column (OWC) supported by a C-shaped structure are discussed, including vortices shed from the lower tip of the OWC chamber and the two edges of the C-shaped support structure. Numerical results reveal a time-mean flow pattern in the vicinity of the C-shaped structure. There is a strong connection between the near-field flow pattern and the local morphological change at the C-shaped support structure.