Abstract
The results of a numerical wave modelling study carried out to assess the nearshore effects of wave energy extraction on the local wave climate by an array of hypothetical wave energy converters (WECs) are presented in this paper. This study uses the Danish Hydraulic Institute's (DHI) MIKE 21 Spectral Wave model to identify and test three different techniques of simulating hypothetical WECs on a regional scale. The results suggest the more complex approach of simulating absorption using directional and frequency absorption spectra in addition to the effects of wave reflections yields a more realistic simulation. This technique was further applied to a potential wave energy deployment site consisting of an array of 30 WEC devices identified by the Crown Estate in the Outer Hebrides in the United Kingdom. The boundary input used seasonal averaged data to represent winter, summer and a complete year's wave spectra. The results suggest there is an average shoreline reduction in wave power behind the array of 5% with a peak value of 9.5%. The inclusion of wave reflection in to the model leads to a larger average percentage change in wave power of 7.5% 300m from the devices. While the results of this study also provide an insight into the distribution of wave energy around a nearshore array, this study focuses on developing advanced technique for the simulation of WECs.