Costal impact of a wave dragon based energy farm operating on the near shore of the Black Sea

Abstract

An analysis of the wave climate based on historical data is first carried out. High resolution simulations with the SWAN spectral model were performed considering the most relevant environmental conditions that could be expected in the area targeted. In order to evaluate the impact of the wave energy farm, wave model simulations were carried out considering three different situations. These

are without any wave energy converter, with one converter and with four converters operating in the nearshore. Impact in the geographical and in the spectral spaces was evaluated for various representative patterns. Moreover, in order to estimate the influence of the wave farm on the shoreline dynamics, the nearshore circulation was also assessed using the 1D Surf model. Results show that the presence of such a wave farm has a strong influence on the wave conditions immediately down wave but this influence is in general highly attenuated at the level of the coastline.