Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management

System

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

In the coming of age, according to an independent study done by the University of

Strathclyde, there will be a significant increase in the demand for renewable sources of energy

due to decommissioning of nuclear power plants, threatening adverse environmental impacts of

coal power plants and the prevailing issue on supply-security of other energy sources. Many

research institutions have studied the possibilities of and have succeeded harnessing energies

from the sun, wind, heat and waters. But there is a less popular renewable source that is gaining

much attention from scientists and investors alike wave energy. This is different from hydro

and marine current such that hydro uses gravity and potential energy, marine current uses tidal

stream and kinetic energy whilst wave energy generates electricity from the kinetic energy

brought by the movement of the surface ocean water due to wind.

Wave energy and its development is said to be just in the infancy stage since few shores

have strong consistent waves. Within 30 years, only a small number of pioneering plants are

established in some parts of Europe, USA and Australia. There has been a growing interest in

manipulating this energy source for it was found out that it produces high energy density, has low

running cost, produces zero waste, predictable and most of all renewable. However, drawback of

this technology is that it requires a significant amount of capital investment and relatively long

installation time. In the Philippines, wave energy conversion gains attention from Filipino

researchers due to the countrys geographical features. Philippines, being an archipelago

surrounded by major oceans, has long coast lines feasible for harnessing waver energy. In

November 1996, a survey study held by Oceanographic Company of Norway OCEANOR in

cooperation with UNDP and DOE assessed ocean wave energy resources in the Philippines and
Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

found out that Batanes Islands, Cagayan, Polilio Islands in Aurora and Bolinao in Pangasinan are

a few potential sites. More recently, Energy Island Ltd. And Bell Pirie Power Corp. Philippines

have been jointly developing a wave farm off-coast of Quezon utilizing the Lilypad TM Wave

Energy Converter to generate 100 kW of power. The project is currently in the resource

assessment and project feasibility stage.

Recent studies revealed that there are more windows opened for the development of a

scaled down, on-site-testing for this technology which should compose of relatively cheap

materials and optimized design of the frequently studied Oscillating Water Column OWC wave

energy converter. This study shall thrive on these possibilities and navigate on its adaptation on

Philippine shores.

This study generally aims to develop a working prototype of a small scale wave energy

generator using OWC. Specifically, the following are expected to be achieved at the end of the

project: (a) Testing, analysis and evaluation of the usage of the system prototype. (b) Inclusion of

a Power Management System using Micro-controllers. (c) Drafted conclusion of the cost-benefit

analysis for the usage of the system. (c) Examination of the systems applicability to both

residential and commercial consumers.

If this endeavour transpires, addition to the advancement of this kind of wave energy

technology will be available for Filipinos. Since its conception, the primary stakeholders of the

project in mind are those residents living in far flung shoreline barangays where lines of power

distributors could not and would not reach; given, that there are significant chances of waves

happening in the place every year. This small scale wave energy generation has the potential to

become a viable option for large scale, base loader to supply big consumers. For the systems
Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

chosen site, this shall embark a new venture for the local government to flourish tourism for it

will be quite a site, thus local economy will be directly affected.

For the prototype system to work, it should be vaulted on a site with wave source that has

a minimum peak of 0.5 m; it follows that larger and faster waves will give better energy output.

The quality of the generated energy shall depend on the diameter of the tube, capability of the

alternator and blades. The stability of the prototype however is reliant on the strength of the tube,

proper positioning, number of braces on the tube and the fixing technique employed. The

generated power is not directly connected to the load; the energy produced is first stored in a

battery. The installation location should be near the land surface or mounted on a man-made

structure with 90 degree-elevation otherwise, the prototype is inapplicable. The target power

generated should support one simple household that consumes power not greater than 1 kilo-

Watts. Automated charging system and control circuitry which include current analyser, load

power analyser, and power management circuit will be used for charging routines.
Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Wave Energy Quality Characteristics

From the article written in the Ocean Energy Council Inc.s website, Wave Energy

(2011), there says that wave energy is an irregular and oscillating low-frequency source that can

be converted to a 60-Hertz frequency and can then be added to the electric utility grid. The

energy in waves comes from the movement of the ocean and the changing heights and speed of

the swells. Kinetic energy, the energy of motion, in waves is tremendous. An average 4-foot, 10-

second wave striking a coast puts out more than 35,000 horsepower per mile of coast.

Waves energy comes from the wind, and wind gets its energy from the sun. This kind of

energy source is said to be renewable for as long as there is the sun, the waves shall stay too.

Though wave occurs unpredictably, it can be concluded that it will be available every hour, every

day.

As to the environmental impact, majority of wave energy generators are benign. The

system doesnt need to be mounted and embedded on ocean floors like those of the tidal barrage

and tidal stream types. Therefore, there is minimal effect on marine ecosystem. The system

doesnt need to use fuel and doesnt give off byproducts thus there is no waste production and

pollution.

As to the operational cost of the system, though the technology is very young and costs a

lot of capital to be installed, it is very comparable to its counterparts such as wind-driven

turbines. Since there is no direct comparison available in the Philippines, the amount in peso
Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

cannot be directly computed. Therefore further developments and economies of scale could

decrease the running cost.

The following table discusses some of the quality characteristics of ocean wave energy

over other energy sources according to Ocean Energy Council Inc. (2011).

Table 2.1 Wave Energy Quality Characteristics

Characteristic Explanation
Reliable Energy from the wind is transferred to waves and can travel to far
distances without energy loss making the energy produced steadier and
predictable.
Consistent The wave can be produced round the clock unlike its solar and wind
counterparts which die in the morning and at night
Carries Denser Energy Water is 850 times denser than air; the variable that affects the amount
of energy produced by wave is the square of wave height unlike wind
energy which varies with respect to cube of air speed.
Lesser Input Cost The square of land needed for the installation of this technology
requires less or approximately 0.5% of the area for wind farms,
therefore there is no added cost for buying lands and right of ways; the
device can be installed in port areas too.

Wave Energy Technologies

In 1799, two Frenchmen, Sir Girard and son proposed and won a wave-power patent to

use as a direct mechanical source of action for different machines.

Some of the wave power technologies over the years are as follows:

Table 2.2 Wave Energy Technologies over the Years

Technology Country Year
WaveRoller Finland 1994
PowerBuoy USA 1997
Oceanlinx Australia 1997
Pelamis UK-Scottish 1998
Poseidon Denmark 1998
CETO Australia 1999
Wavebob Ireland 1999
Lysekil Project Sweden 2002
SurgeDrive Australia 2002
WaveDragon Denmark 2003
AquaBuoy Ireland-Canada-Scotland 2003
Protean TM Australia 2004
Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

Oyster UK-Scottish 2005

Oebuoy Ireland 2006
Anaconda UK 2008
SeaRaser UK 2008
Dexawave Denmark 2008
SDE Sea Waves Power Plant Israel -
FlanSea Belgium 2010
Cycloidal US 2011

A study by D. G. Dorell et.al. (2004) entitled Review of Wave Energy Resource and

Oscillating Water Column Modelling discussed several technological developments in wave

energy conversions which were broken down into five basic technology groups which the author

referred to as classified by Thorpe (2002). These are the Overtopping Devices, Point Absorbers

(floating or mounted on the sea bed), Surging Devices, Mechanical Extraction and OWC

Systems.

The Overtopping Devices construction is inspired by a hydro-electric power generation

system where waves are forced to enter a very high reservoir. The reservoir called the head then

allows the water to fall through an outlet to maneuver a Kaplan turbine. The Point Absorber is

classically a buoy which is directly connected to a mooring point on the sea bed where its

bobbing motion is utilized to pump oil or sea water to drive a turbine. Surging Devices is the

complete opposite of the latter. Point Absorbers use the up and down motion of the wave while

Surging Devices use the ocean surfaces parallel movement. Lastly, Mechanical Devices are

those that use machines like hydraulic pumps and tubular device of several sections to harness

wave energy. The OWC is most studied and greatly used commercially in UK and most parts of

Europe. The device consists of a wave-capture chamber where water level oscillates, a turbine

(unidirectional or bidirectional) and a generator.

Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

(a) Overtopping Device

Oscillating Water Column

OWC consists of two basic components: the oscillating chamber and turbine. Early

developed chambers are made up of concrete such that shown in Figure 2.1-(e) while others are

more straightforward with the use of pipe-through. As the water oscillates inside the chamber,

difference in pressure occurs due to the upward and downward motion of the water level. This

phenomenon causes the air to be blown and sucked through the turbine. Some OWCs use

unidirectional blade but most use bidirectional blade also known as Wells turbine the one used

in wind energy converters. Bidirectional blade is a turbine that produces torque with respect to
Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

both direction of airflow. The diameter of the blade used is proportional to the scale of the

chambers capacity. The mechanical energy produced by the turbine is then converted to

electrical energy which is stored and supplied afterwards.

OWC design challenges

How to efficiently convert energy, economically construct a unit, and successfully

survive tests of nature are some of the challenges posed in designing OWC converters. In the

energy conversion part, many studies are found successful theoretically but would fail during

testing due to scaling up or down of prototype. Most parameters are not directly proportional to

dimensions of OWC. A slight change in dimension could exponentially increase or decrease the

units performance. The specifications of turbine used and the chambers design have the most

significant effect in the efficient energy conversion. To cut cost in construction, instead of

concrete chambers, alternative materials are used such as steel pipe used in one failed project

in Australia. Altering the chambers material directly affects energy conversion efficiency and

models survivability. There were designs in the past which disastrously failed during sudden

storm surges. Another problem occurs in the cabling requirement to transmit generated power to

intended customers.

Current OWC design breakthroughs

Webb (2005) mentioned in his article The Marine Challenge that the key elements in

improved OWC construction economics are reduced structural quantities and survival loading

combined with the maximum possible wave energy capture. In the goal to achieve maximum
Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

energy conversion rates through optimum design, many studies had come up with promising

results.

A number of them focused on the alteration of the turbines design. A research by Dorell

et.al. (2004) reported that increasing the diameter of the turbines blade to over 600 mm

compared to a 132 mm relatively generates reasonable converted power for it has high Reynolds

number for correct operation. Several Dorells work from 2006 to 2008 showed that a totally

different design using a down-scaled multi-chamber or segmented column matched with

savonius turbines performed a 20% conversion rate which is relatively better than the average

10%. Some projects tried to maximize the pressure captured by changing the design of the

chamber. Suroso (2005) of Indonesia studied the use of reflector or angled chamber opening and

funnelled the connection to the turbine. The researcher concluded that the most efficient

reflectors angle is 45 degrees. Others have tried widening the diameter of the pipe chamber but

one made by a group of Scientist in Massachusetts Institute of Technology spearheaded by Prof.

Chiang Mei did different. They lengthen the pipe from 1 m up to 10 m to allow the oscillating

water column be able to resonate two times thus amplifying the generated power. Alberdi et.al.

(2011) developed two complementary controls, one is a turbine rotational speed control and the

other is a series throttle valve airflow control. It was demonstrated that the proposed control

schemes maximized the power returned to the grid and improved the quality of supply by

controlling the power generated for short oscillations of a wave, wave grouping, and different

sea scenarios. While others such that of Hodgins et.al. focused on designing the appropriate type

of generator. According to their study, the overloading induction is the most suitable generator

type currently available for the 18.5 kW OWC application.

Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

In this research, the combination of a long pipe chamber with 45 reflected opening

funnelled in series with a Wells turbine and a power management system using micro-controllers

will be designed, fabricated, tested, and evaluated on Baler, Aurora shores.

Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

Chapter 3

SMALL SCALE OCW WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER WITH POWER MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM

Methodology

Materials such as 5m long by .75m wide spiral double walled silicon plastic, 0.6 m

diameter Wells turbine, silicon plastic sheet formed into a funnel, alternator, copper wires,

switches, and micro-controllers were gathered. Aided by the design, in Figure3.1, these materials

were put together to construct the OWC. The pipe has angled opening and has funnelled top

where a turbine rests. The turbine is connected to an alternator then to a charging control circuit

then to a current analyser and to the power management circuit. Figure 3.2 control and power

management circuit.

Figure 3.1 The OWC Construction Set-up

Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

Figure 3.2 Control and Power Management Circuit

As the water goes to and fro, entering the opening of the chamber, wave pressure

increases inside. This pressure pushes the air up the funnel where pressure increases more thus

causing the bidirectional blade to rotate and transfer the energy to the alternator were energy is

transformed to electrical energy. The power generated by the alternator passes through the

charging and control circuit and then to current analyzer where the circuit monitors the current

generated by the alternator before it can be transferred and stored in the battery. This current

analyzer provides information to micro-processing unit to take necessary adjustment for current

distribution to battery. This micro-processing unit also decides whether the battery is ready for

load power distribution or which battery is to be charged. It controls the switching unit where the

storages power entry to load is located and the switching unit that controls power before the

transfer to load. It is important that this power is managed properly to obtain constant power

distribution load. This activity is monitored by Power analyzer which provides feedback to

processing unit. This is important to avoid overloading which causes system destruction. If the

power drawn is not enough to supply the load, the processing unit will add another storage

connected in parallel with the existing to provide enough amount of power to the load. If loading
Development of Small Scale Wave Energy Converter Using Oscillating Water Column OWC with Power Management
System

is decreased, it automatically disconnects or reduces the number of battery that provides that

power. The following diagram illustrates this process.

Figure 3.3 OWC WEC Diagram