Experimental investigation of the hydrodynamic performance of the ISWEC 1:20 scaled device

An experimental campaign test has performed on the 1:20 scaled moored model of ISWEC (Inertial Sea Wave Energy Converter). The annual productivity of the device is strictly correlated to the hydrodynamic properties of the floater. Therefore, is fundamental to carry out an experimental investigation of the hydrodynamic performance of the floater and compare the results with the numerical codes. In this paper the experimental campaign is described. Two different mooring configurations were tested to understand the different influence of mooring forces on the floater dynamics. The non-dimensional Response Amplitude Operator (RAO) is representative of the hydrodynamic performances of the floater. Therefore, the device with both the mooring configurations has been tested in regular waves of constant wave steepness 1/50. Conclusions are commenting the differences a between numerical and experimental results and the impact of nonlinearities on hydrodynamic performances.