Abstract: Based on two- and three-dimensional potential flow theories, the width effects on the hydrodynamics of a bottom-hinged trapezoidal pendulum wave energy converter are discussed. The two-dimensional eigenfunction expansion method is used to obtain the diffraction and radiation solutions when the converter width tends to be infinity. The trapezoidal section of the converter is approximated by a rectangular section for simplification. The nonlinear viscous damping effects are accounted for by including a drag term in the two- and three-dimensional methods. It is found that the threedimensional results are in good agreement with the two-dimensional results when the converter width becomes larger, especially when the converter width is infinity, which shows that both of the methods are reasonable. Meantime, it is also found that the peak value of the conversion efficiency decreases as the converter width increases in short wave periods while increases when the converter width increases in long wave periods.

Key words: three-dimensional potential flow theory, wave energy conversion efficiency, pendulum wave energy converter, two-dimensional eigenfunction expansion method