Aaron Porter - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Aaron Porter

Research paper thumbnail of U.S. West Coast Port Infrastructure Needs for Development of Floating Offshore Wind Facilities

Research paper thumbnail of Further Development of SNL-Swan, a Validated Wave Energy Converter Array Modeling Tool

ChrisChartrand SandiaNationalLaboratories� Albuquerque�,�NewMexico,�U.S.A� � � ABSTRACT � Commerc... more ChrisChartrand SandiaNationalLaboratories� Albuquerque�,�NewMexico,�U.S.A� � � ABSTRACT � Commercializationofwaveenergywillleadto� thenecessarydeploymentofWaveEnergy� Converters�(WECs)�inarrays,�orwavefarms.��In� orderforprojectsintheUnitedStatestobe� approved,� regulatoryagenciesmustperforman� EnvironmentalAssessmentprovinglittletono� environmentalimpact.��However,�littleisknown� abouttheenvironmentalimpactsofsuchwave� farms.�Asaresult,�theenvironmentalimpactsof� wavefarmsarelargelydeterminedbynumerical� wavemodelscapableofmodelinglargeareas�(i.e.,� spectralwavemodels).� Howeverspectralwave� modelsarecurrentlylimitedintheirabilityto� modelWECs.� � SandiaNationalLaboratoriesis� developingSNL-SWAN,� amodifiedversionof� SimulationWAvesNearshore� (1)� thatincludesa� validatedWECModuletomorerealisticallymodel� thefrequencyandseastatedependentwave� energyconversionofWECs.� Thispaperwill� provideanupdateonitsdevelopment.� ��

Research paper thumbnail of Development and Release of the Open-Source Wave Climate Environment Assessment Tool SNL-Swan

INTRODUCTION Accurately assessing potential far-field environmental impacts due to wave energy co... more INTRODUCTION Accurately assessing potential far-field environmental impacts due to wave energy converter (WEC) arrays is needed for commercialization of wave energy. One of the barriers to development is how to assess environmental concerns related to the potential effects these arrays will have on the nearand farfield wave climate. In order for projects in the United States to be approved, regulatory agencies must perform an Environmental Assessment proving little to no environmental impact. However, little is known about the environmental impacts of such wave farms as utility-scale WEC arrays have not yet made it to the market. As a result, the environmental impacts of wave farms are largely determined by numerical wave models capable of modeling large areas (i.e., spectral wave models). Therefore a validated, publicly available wave model that accurately predicts the effects due to WEC-arrays is crucial to WEC commercialization Existing spectral wave models are limited in their a...

Research paper thumbnail of Analyses of Wave Scattering and Absorption Produced by WEC Arrays: Physical/Numerical Experiments and Model Assessment

Knowledge of the effects of wave energy converters (WECs) on the near and far wave fields is crit... more Knowledge of the effects of wave energy converters (WECs) on the near and far wave fields is critical to the efficient and low-risk design of waveforms. Several computational wave models enable the evaluation of WEC array effects, but model validation has been limited. In this chapter, we validate two popular models with very different formulations: the phase-resolving model WAMIT and the phase-averaged Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model. The models are validated against wave data from an extensive set of WEC array laboratory experiments conducted by Oregon State University and Columbia Power Technologies, Inc (CPT). The experimental WECs were 1:33 scale versions of a commercial device (CPT “Manta”), and several different WEC array configurations were subjected to a range of regular waves and random sea states. The wave field in the lee of the WEC arrays was mapped, and the wave shadow was quantified for all sea states. In addition, the WEC power capture performance was measure...

Research paper thumbnail of Overview of Open Source Codes to Assess Environmental Effects on Ocean Wave Farms

The development of SNL-SWAN by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) allows users to investigate the... more The development of SNL-SWAN by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) allows users to investigate the interaction between a WEC or WEC array and the wave environment. SNL-SWAN when coupled with a hydrodynamic and sediment transport model such as Delft3D, developed by Deltares Inc, allows for the direct investigation of WEC array effects on the physical environment (e.g. waves, currents, seabed) and the associated site ecology. Ongoing development of these tools has shown how the coupling of SNL-SWAN with Delft3D-Flow can quantify the interaction between device(s) and the hydrodynamic environment at a real-world site.

Research paper thumbnail of The Performance of a Spectral Wave Model at Predicting Wave Farm Impacts

Energies, 2020

For renewable ocean wave energy to support global energy demands, wave energy converters (WECs) w... more For renewable ocean wave energy to support global energy demands, wave energy converters (WECs) will likely be deployed in large numbers (farms), which will necessarily change the nearshore environment. Wave farm induced changes can be both helpful (e.g., beneficial habitat and coastal protection) and potentially harmful (e.g., degraded habitat, recreational, and commercial use) to existing users of the coastal environment. It is essential to estimate this impact through modeling prior to the development of a farm, and to that end, many researchers have used spectral wave models, such as Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN), to assess wave farm impacts. However, the validity of the approaches used within SWAN have not been thoroughly verified or validated. Herein, a version of SWAN, called Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)-SWAN, which has a specialized WEC implementation, is verified by comparing its wave field outputs to those of linear wave interaction theory (LWIT), where LWIT is t...

Research paper thumbnail of Laboratory Observations and Numerical Modeling of the Effects of an Array of Wave Energy Converters

Coastal Engineering Proceedings, 2012

This paper investigates the effects of wave energy converters (WECs) on water waves through the a... more This paper investigates the effects of wave energy converters (WECs) on water waves through the analysis of extensive laboratory experiments, as well as subsequent numerical simulations. Data for the analysis was collected during the WEC-Array Experiments performed at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University, in collaboration with Columbia Power Technologies, using five 1:33 scale point-absorbing WECs. The observed wave measurement and WEC performance data sets allowed for a direct computation of power removed from the wave field for a large suite of incident wave conditions and WEC array sizes. Using measured power absorption characteristics as a WEC parameterization for SWAN was developed. This parameterization was verified by comparison to the observational data set. Considering the complexity of the problem, the parameterization of WECs by only power absorption is a reasonable predictor of the effect of WECs on the far field.

Research paper thumbnail of North Jetty Coastline Evolution and Shoreline Engineering, Grays Harbor, Washington

Coastal Engineering Proceedings, 2018

This study was initiated by the Port of Grays Harbor and the City of Ocean Shores, WA to address ... more This study was initiated by the Port of Grays Harbor and the City of Ocean Shores, WA to address ongoing shoreline erosion processes, and sedimentation at the Grays Harbor Federal Navigation Channel. The North Jetty at the entrance to Grays Harbor Estuary, WA was constructed at the beginning of last century (1907) and resulted in major regional changes to the coastline. During the first 40 years post-construction of the jetty, approximately ten miles of sandy beach shoreline, two miles wide north of the jetty, was created by natural sediment transport processes. The accreted land was the base for the creation of the City of Ocean Shores. Since that time the shoreline has been periodically altered by extreme erosion events.

Research paper thumbnail of U.S. West Coast Port Infrastructure Needs for Development of Floating Offshore Wind Facilities

Research paper thumbnail of Further Development of SNL-Swan, a Validated Wave Energy Converter Array Modeling Tool

ChrisChartrand SandiaNationalLaboratories� Albuquerque�,�NewMexico,�U.S.A� � � ABSTRACT � Commerc... more ChrisChartrand SandiaNationalLaboratories� Albuquerque�,�NewMexico,�U.S.A� � � ABSTRACT � Commercializationofwaveenergywillleadto� thenecessarydeploymentofWaveEnergy� Converters�(WECs)�inarrays,�orwavefarms.��In� orderforprojectsintheUnitedStatestobe� approved,� regulatoryagenciesmustperforman� EnvironmentalAssessmentprovinglittletono� environmentalimpact.��However,�littleisknown� abouttheenvironmentalimpactsofsuchwave� farms.�Asaresult,�theenvironmentalimpactsof� wavefarmsarelargelydeterminedbynumerical� wavemodelscapableofmodelinglargeareas�(i.e.,� spectralwavemodels).� Howeverspectralwave� modelsarecurrentlylimitedintheirabilityto� modelWECs.� � SandiaNationalLaboratoriesis� developingSNL-SWAN,� amodifiedversionof� SimulationWAvesNearshore� (1)� thatincludesa� validatedWECModuletomorerealisticallymodel� thefrequencyandseastatedependentwave� energyconversionofWECs.� Thispaperwill� provideanupdateonitsdevelopment.� ��

Research paper thumbnail of Development and Release of the Open-Source Wave Climate Environment Assessment Tool SNL-Swan

INTRODUCTION Accurately assessing potential far-field environmental impacts due to wave energy co... more INTRODUCTION Accurately assessing potential far-field environmental impacts due to wave energy converter (WEC) arrays is needed for commercialization of wave energy. One of the barriers to development is how to assess environmental concerns related to the potential effects these arrays will have on the nearand farfield wave climate. In order for projects in the United States to be approved, regulatory agencies must perform an Environmental Assessment proving little to no environmental impact. However, little is known about the environmental impacts of such wave farms as utility-scale WEC arrays have not yet made it to the market. As a result, the environmental impacts of wave farms are largely determined by numerical wave models capable of modeling large areas (i.e., spectral wave models). Therefore a validated, publicly available wave model that accurately predicts the effects due to WEC-arrays is crucial to WEC commercialization Existing spectral wave models are limited in their a...

Research paper thumbnail of Analyses of Wave Scattering and Absorption Produced by WEC Arrays: Physical/Numerical Experiments and Model Assessment

Knowledge of the effects of wave energy converters (WECs) on the near and far wave fields is crit... more Knowledge of the effects of wave energy converters (WECs) on the near and far wave fields is critical to the efficient and low-risk design of waveforms. Several computational wave models enable the evaluation of WEC array effects, but model validation has been limited. In this chapter, we validate two popular models with very different formulations: the phase-resolving model WAMIT and the phase-averaged Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model. The models are validated against wave data from an extensive set of WEC array laboratory experiments conducted by Oregon State University and Columbia Power Technologies, Inc (CPT). The experimental WECs were 1:33 scale versions of a commercial device (CPT “Manta”), and several different WEC array configurations were subjected to a range of regular waves and random sea states. The wave field in the lee of the WEC arrays was mapped, and the wave shadow was quantified for all sea states. In addition, the WEC power capture performance was measure...

Research paper thumbnail of Overview of Open Source Codes to Assess Environmental Effects on Ocean Wave Farms

The development of SNL-SWAN by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) allows users to investigate the... more The development of SNL-SWAN by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) allows users to investigate the interaction between a WEC or WEC array and the wave environment. SNL-SWAN when coupled with a hydrodynamic and sediment transport model such as Delft3D, developed by Deltares Inc, allows for the direct investigation of WEC array effects on the physical environment (e.g. waves, currents, seabed) and the associated site ecology. Ongoing development of these tools has shown how the coupling of SNL-SWAN with Delft3D-Flow can quantify the interaction between device(s) and the hydrodynamic environment at a real-world site.

Research paper thumbnail of The Performance of a Spectral Wave Model at Predicting Wave Farm Impacts

Energies, 2020

For renewable ocean wave energy to support global energy demands, wave energy converters (WECs) w... more For renewable ocean wave energy to support global energy demands, wave energy converters (WECs) will likely be deployed in large numbers (farms), which will necessarily change the nearshore environment. Wave farm induced changes can be both helpful (e.g., beneficial habitat and coastal protection) and potentially harmful (e.g., degraded habitat, recreational, and commercial use) to existing users of the coastal environment. It is essential to estimate this impact through modeling prior to the development of a farm, and to that end, many researchers have used spectral wave models, such as Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN), to assess wave farm impacts. However, the validity of the approaches used within SWAN have not been thoroughly verified or validated. Herein, a version of SWAN, called Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)-SWAN, which has a specialized WEC implementation, is verified by comparing its wave field outputs to those of linear wave interaction theory (LWIT), where LWIT is t...

Research paper thumbnail of Laboratory Observations and Numerical Modeling of the Effects of an Array of Wave Energy Converters

Coastal Engineering Proceedings, 2012

This paper investigates the effects of wave energy converters (WECs) on water waves through the a... more This paper investigates the effects of wave energy converters (WECs) on water waves through the analysis of extensive laboratory experiments, as well as subsequent numerical simulations. Data for the analysis was collected during the WEC-Array Experiments performed at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University, in collaboration with Columbia Power Technologies, using five 1:33 scale point-absorbing WECs. The observed wave measurement and WEC performance data sets allowed for a direct computation of power removed from the wave field for a large suite of incident wave conditions and WEC array sizes. Using measured power absorption characteristics as a WEC parameterization for SWAN was developed. This parameterization was verified by comparison to the observational data set. Considering the complexity of the problem, the parameterization of WECs by only power absorption is a reasonable predictor of the effect of WECs on the far field.

Research paper thumbnail of North Jetty Coastline Evolution and Shoreline Engineering, Grays Harbor, Washington

Coastal Engineering Proceedings, 2018

This study was initiated by the Port of Grays Harbor and the City of Ocean Shores, WA to address ... more This study was initiated by the Port of Grays Harbor and the City of Ocean Shores, WA to address ongoing shoreline erosion processes, and sedimentation at the Grays Harbor Federal Navigation Channel. The North Jetty at the entrance to Grays Harbor Estuary, WA was constructed at the beginning of last century (1907) and resulted in major regional changes to the coastline. During the first 40 years post-construction of the jetty, approximately ten miles of sandy beach shoreline, two miles wide north of the jetty, was created by natural sediment transport processes. The accreted land was the base for the creation of the City of Ocean Shores. Since that time the shoreline has been periodically altered by extreme erosion events.