Thermal design of linear generators for wave energy converters

Generators for wave energy converters are enclosed within sealed containers. The thermal exchange mechanism is based both on natural convection occurring in the air within the container and in the water outside it. Conduction occurs in all other domains. To assess the maximum allowable electrical loading a numerical approach based on thermal simulation and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is developed via Finite Elements. A comparison is made among a deep sea device and a floating one. Concrete and steel are evaluated as container materials. The objective of the analysis are the admissible current density, the loss density and the heat transfer coefficient.