Ocean Wave Energy

The energy from waves and from tides

Wave energy : Introduction
• Differential warming of the earth causes pressure differences
in the atmosphere, which generate winds
• When wind blows across the sea surface, waves are generated.
The energy is transferred from the wind to the waves. Means
that waves are third hand solar energy

2
Wave energy : Introduction
• Waves travel vast distances across oceans at great speed. The longer and
stronger the wind blows over the sea surface, the higher, longer, faster
and more powerful the sea is.
• Wave energy is sometimes confused with tidal energy, which is quite
different. (Wave Energy < = > Tidal Currents)
• The most powerful wave is Tsunami

3
Wave Power
• Wave height determined by
– wind speed, duration the wind has been blowing, depth and
topography of the seafloor

• Energy output (wave power) determined by

– wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density

• Oscillatory motion of waves is highest at the surface and

diminishes exponentially with depth.
• The energy provided most often used in
– electricity generation, water desalination, and water pumps 4
Water disalination
 Worldwide potential of wave energy

• Wave energy offers a large potential resources to be exploited

• Total worldwide wave power estimated at 2TW (or 17 500TWh/year) - about
double current world electricity production - and between 1-10 TW in deep water
• Only 500 GW captured with current technology

Annual average wave power density (in kW per m):

any area with yearly averages of over 15kW per m has the potential to

generate wave energy at competitive prices

Best wave energy sites
around the world are
– USA,
– North & South America,
– Western Europe,
– Japan,
– South Africa,
– Australia
– and New Zealand

http://www.tridentenergy.co.uk/images/world_map.gif
Advantages and Disadvantages
• Advantages
• The energy is free – no fuel needed, no waste produced
• Not expensive to operate and maintain
• Can produce a great deal of energy
• Disadvantages
• Depends on the waves – sometimes you’ll get loads of
energy, sometimes almost nothing
• Needs a suitable site, where waves are consistently strong
• Some designs are noisy. But then again, so are waves, so
any noise is unlikely to be a problem
• Must be able to withstand.
 There are some environmental aspects to consider
when using wave power...
•The installation of the equipment can destroy habitats and coral of
sea life.

• It can kill water plants vital for the food chain and
ecosystem.
•The placement of the machine is important because it can
prevent the fishing boats from going out to sea, so some
species of fish could grow to very large numbers

•The machines create an obstacle for wading birds

But... the devices can become almost like artificial reefs, creating a
place for new colonisation and most wave power plants are spread out
along the coastline, preventing erosion to cliffs. Etc.
Wave Energy Technologies
• Wave energy devices are used to convert waves motion (KE) into mechanical energy.
Some working principles of wave energy devices can be viewed at
http://www.emec.org.uk/marine-energy/wave-devices/
• Common devices types are:
• Attenuator
• Point Absorber • We can categorize the
devices as follows:
• Oscillating wave surge converter
1) At the shoreline
• Oscillating water column
2) Near the shoreline
• Overtopping/Terminator Device
3) Off-shore
• Submerged pressure differential
• Bulge wave
9
• Rotating mass
Shoreline mechanism
• Oscillating water column (OWC)
• An oscillating water column is a partially
submerged, hollow structure. It is open to the sea
below the water line, enclosing a column of air on
top of a column of water. Waves cause the water
column to rise and fall, which in turn compresses
and decompresses the air column. This trapped
air is allowed to flow to and from the atmosphere
via a turbine, which usually has the ability to rotate
regardless of the direction (bidirectional) of the
airflow. The rotation of the turbine is used to
generate electricity.
• OCW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcStpg3i5V8
• Other shoreline device: EVO WAVE UMT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUJKXLacROA
Near shoreline mechanism
 underwater pneumatic systems shaft connected to
the buoy

permanent
magnet

fixed
coil

Archimedes Wave Swing Linear generator Wave and Roller (USA) 13 kW

Power Buoy (USA) 40 kW 2 MW pneumatic systems (Holand)

Near shoreline mechanism
• Submerged Pressure Differential
• Submerged pressure differential devices
are typically located near shore and
attached to the seabed. The motion of the
waves causes the sea level to rise and
fall above the device, inducing a pressure
differential in the device. The alternating  underwater pneumatic systems shaft connected to
the buoy
pressure pumps fluid through a system to
generate electricity. permanent
magnet

fixed
coil

Archimedes Wave Swing Linear generator

Near shoreline mechanism
• Point Absorber
• A point absorber is a floating structure which absorbs
energy from all directions through its movements
at/near the water surface. It converts the motion of
the buoyant top relative to the base into electrical
power. The power take-off system may take a number
of forms, depending on the configuration of
displacers/reactors.

2 MW pneumatic systems (Holand) Power Buoy (USA) 40 kW

Near shoreline mechanism
• Oscillating Wave Surge Converter
• Oscillating wave surge converters extract
energy from wave surges and the
movement of water particles within them.
The arm oscillates as a pendulum
mounted on a pivoted joint in response to
the movement of water in the waves.

Wave and Roller (USA) 13 kW

Near shoreline mechanism
• Overtopping/Terminator Device
• Overtopping devices capture water as
waves break into a storage reservoir. The
water is then returned to the sea passing
through a conventional low-head turbine
which generates power. An overtopping
device may use ‘collectors’ to concentrate
the wave energy.
Off-Shore Mechanism
• Attenuator
• An attenuator is a floating device which
operates parallel to the wave direction
and effectively rides the waves. These
devices capture energy from the relative
motion of the two arms as the wave
passes them.
• E.g. PELAMIS
Off-Shore Mechanism
• Attenuator
• An attenuator is a floating device which
operates parallel to the wave direction
and effectively rides the waves. These
devices capture energy from the relative
motion of the two arms as the wave
passes them.
• E.g. PELAMIS Converter
Off-Shore Mechanism
Pelamis Converter

Pelamis

Sea snake

Profile view Top view

Off-Shore Mechanism
Efficiency = 35 %

Horizontal
articulated axis

Hydraulic arm

Power module High pressure

container

Motor/generator
set

Distributor

Reservoir

Vertical
articulated axis
Inside view of the power module
Off-Shore Mechanism
Total power = 2.25 MW.
(3 units of 750 kW)

15 kV

Pelamis installation
Average incident power (kW/m)
150
125 2001 2002 2003 3 year average

100

75

50

25

0
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Wave Seasonal Variability
Off-Shore Mechanism Pelamis Wave
direction

Flexible cable

Seabed
Anchorage

Pelamis wave energy converter of 750 kW Pelamis anchorage to the seabed

Pelamis
600 mof

2100 m

Association of Pelamis units in a total of 30 MW

(waiting for legislation)

Wave farm of Aguçadora of 2.25 MW

 Some aspects of Pelamis construction

Off-Shore Mechanism

Rolling the steel plate Steel tubes of 3.5 m in diameter

Articulation Transportation
Off-Shore Mechanism
Pelamis layout
120 m ~ l
30 m 5m
D/3
Nose T P-750 D = 3.5 m

Articulation Power Module

Three phase cable 15 kV

Articulation

Power transformer de 950 kVA 6.6/15 kV Three phase cable 15 kV Power module of 250 kVA
Off-Shore Mechanism (Other type)
 Bristol cylinder for
 Salter’s Duck system wave energy extraction
sea level

waves

Floating
cylinder

under sea electric

generator

One of the first methods to extract
mechanical energy from the waves was
invented in the 1970s by Professor
Stephen Salter of the University of
Edinburgh, Scotland, in response to the
Oil Crisis. It can be moored, to distances
of 80 km of the cost. The cam rotates
about its axis and is shaped to minimize
back-water pressures.
Escone
oscillating
movement
converter
This converter unit, called Escone,
after his inventor Esko Raikano, is the
heart of the system and converts the
reciprocating motion to a rotating shaft
connected direclty to a generator for
generating electrical energy with high
efficiency.
Off-Shore Mechanism (Other type)
• Bulge Wave
• Bulge wave technology consists of a rubber tube
filled with water, moored to the seabed heading
into the waves. The water enters through the stern
and the passing wave causes pressure variations
along the length of the tube, creating a ‘bulge’. As
the bulge travels through the tube it grows,
gathering energy which can be used to drive a
standard low-head turbine located at the bow,
where the water then returns to the sea.
Off-Shore Mechanism (Other type)
• Rotating Mass
• Two forms of rotation are used to capture
energy by the movement of the device
heaving and swaying in the waves. This
motion drives either an eccentric weight or a
gyroscope causes precession. In both cases
the movement is attached to an electric
generator inside the device.
Energetech’s Australia Wave Energy System

Pictured here the Australia

Wave Energy System, an
Oscillating Water Column
located off the coast of Port
Kembla, New South Wales,
Australia and designed by
Energetech
Energetech’s Australia Wave Energy System
• Located 200 meters from the Port Kembla Harbour
Breakwater
• Typically waves at Port Kembla exceed 1m in
height 63% of the time (producing greater than
110kW on those occasions) and exceed 2m in height
5.5% of the time (producing greater than
400 kW on those occasions).
Energetech’s Australia Wave Energy System
• Designed to generate 500 kW, enough to power 500 homes
• The system uses a variable pitch turbine called a Denniss-Auld
turbine, potentially with a higher conversion efficiency than the Wells
turbine
• The turbine drives an induction generator
Energetech’s Australia Wave Energy System
• The plant also includes a small desalination unit that can produce
nearly 2000 liters of fresh drinkable water per day using nothing but
the seawater and wave energy.
31