Influence of the wave climate seasonality on the performance of a wave energy converter: A case study

Energy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 135 ◽  
pp. 303-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Ramos ◽  
M. López ◽  
F. Taveira-Pinto ◽  
P. Rosa-Santos
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Energy Converter

scholarly journals Optimizing the Power Take Off of a Wave Energy Converter With Regard to the Wave Climate

2005 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaelle Duclos ◽  
Aurelien Babarit ◽  
Alain H. Clément
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Simple Wave ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Optimal Parameters ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
Classical Wave ◽  
Project Site ◽  
Wave Conditions

Considered as a source of renewable energy, wave is a resource featuring high variability at all time scales. Furthermore wave climate also changes significantly from place to place. Wave energy converters are very often tuned to suit the more frequent significant wave period at the project site. In this paper we show that optimizing the device necessitates accounting for all possible wave conditions weighted by their annual occurrence frequency, as generally given by the classical wave climate scatter diagrams. A generic and very simple wave energy converter is considered here. It is shown how the optimal parameters can be different considering whether all wave conditions are accounted for or not, whether the device is controlled or not, whether the productive motion is limited or not. We also show how they depend on the area where the device is to be deployed, by applying the same method to three sites with very different wave climate.

The Effect of the Spectral Distribution of Wave Energy on the Performance of a Bottom Hinged Flap Type Wave Energy Converter

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Clabby ◽  
A. Henry ◽  
M. Folley ◽  
T. Whittaker
Keyword(s):  
Energy Distribution ◽  
Wave Height ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Spectral Distribution ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Spectral Energy Distribution ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Energy Converter

The power output from a wave energy converter is typically predicted using experimental and/or numerical modelling techniques. In order to yield meaningful results the relevant characteristics of the device, together with those of the wave climate must be modelled with sufficient accuracy. The wave climate is commonly described using a scatter table of sea states defined according to parameters related to wave height and period. These sea states are traditionally modelled with the spectral distribution of energy defined according to some empirical formulation. Since the response of most wave energy converters vary at different frequencies of excitation, their performance in a particular sea state may be expected to depend on the choice of spectral shape employed rather than simply the spectral parameters. Estimates of energy production may therefore be affected if the spectral distribution of wave energy at the deployment site is not well modelled. Furthermore, validation of the model may be affected by differences between the observed full scale spectral energy distribution and the spectrum used to model it. This paper investigates the sensitivity of the performance of a bottom hinged flap type wave energy converter to the spectral energy distribution of the incident waves. This is investigated experimentally using a 1:20 scale model of Aquamarine Power’s Oyster wave energy converter, a bottom hinged flap type device situated at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in approximately 13m water depth. The performance of the model is tested in sea states defined according to the same wave height and period parameters but adhering to different spectral energy distributions. The results of these tests show that power capture is reduced with increasing spectral bandwidth. This result is explored with consideration of the spectral response of the device in irregular wave conditions. The implications of this result are discussed in the context of validation of the model against particular prototype data sets and estimation of annual energy production.

Measurement of the Effect of Power Absorption in the Lee of a Wave Energy Converter

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian G. C. Ashton ◽  
Lars Johanning ◽  
Brian Linfoot
Keyword(s):  
Wave Field ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Ocean Waves ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Wave Measurements ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Variability ◽  
Power Capture ◽  
Local Wave

Monitoring the effect of floating wave energy converter (WEC) devices on the surrounding wave field will be an important tool for monitoring impacts on the local wave climate and coastlines. Measurement will be hampered by the natural variability of ocean waves and the complex response of WEC devices, causing temporal and spatial variability in the effects. Measurements taken during wave tank tests at MARINTEK are used to analyse the effectiveness of point wave measurements at resolving the influence of an array of WEC on the local wave conditions. The variability of waves is measured in front and in the lee of a device, using spectral analysis to identify changes to the incident wave field due to the operating WEC. The power capture and radiation damping are analysed in order to predict the measured changes. Differences in the wave field across the device are clearly observable in the frequency domain. However, they do not unanimously show a reduction in wave energy in the lee of a device and are not well predicted by measured power capture.

scholarly journals Wave Data Assimilation in Support of Wave Energy Converter Power Prediction: Yakutat, Alaska Case Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Dallman ◽  
Mohammad Khalil ◽  
Kaus Raghukumar ◽  
Craig Jones ◽  
Jeremy Kasper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Power Prediction ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Wave Data

scholarly journals Hydraulic and Structural Assessment of a Rubble-Mound Breakwater with a Hybrid Wave Energy Converter

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 922
Author(s):  
Daniel Clemente ◽  
Tomás Calheiros-Cabral ◽  
Paulo Rosa-Santos ◽  
Francisco Taveira-Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Stability Analysis ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Ocean Waves ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Hybrid Wave ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
The North ◽  
Rubble Mound

Seaports’ breakwaters serve as important infrastructures capable of sheltering ships, facilities, and harbour personnel from severe wave climate. Given their exposure to ocean waves and port authorities’ increasing awareness towards sustainability, it is important to develop and assess wave energy conversion technologies suitable of being integrated into seaport breakwaters. To fulfil this goal whilst ensuring adequate sheltering conditions, this paper describes the performance and stability analysis of the armour layer and toe berm of a 1/50 geometric scale model of the north breakwater extension project, intended for the Port of Leixões, with an integrated hybrid wave energy converter. This novel hybrid concept combines an oscillating water column and an overtopping device. The breakwater was also studied without the hybrid wave energy device as to enable a thorough comparison between both solutions regarding structural stability, safety, and overtopping performance. The results point towards a considerable reduction in the overtopping volumes through the integration of the hybrid technology by an average value of 50%, while the stability analysis suggests that the toe berm of the breakwater is not significantly affected by the hybrid device, leading to acceptable safety levels. Even so, some block displacements were observed, and the attained stability numbers were slightly above the recommended thresholds from the literature. It is also shown that traditional damage assessment parameters should be applied with care when non-conventional structures are analysed, such as rubble-mound breakwaters with integrated wave energy converters.

scholarly journals Sea Level Variability in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone and adjacent seawaters: Influence on a Point Absorbing Wave Energy Converter

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Castellucci ◽  
Erland Strömstedt
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Exclusive Economic Zone ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Stroke Length ◽  
Sea Level Variability ◽  
Additional Tool ◽  
Economic Zone

Abstract. Low-frequency sea level variability can be a critical factor for several wave energy converter (WEC) systems, for instance linear systems with at a limited stroke length. Consequently, when investigating suitable areas for deployment of those WEC systems, sea level variability should be taken into account. In order to facilitate wave energy developers in finding the most suitable areas for wave energy park installations, this paper describes a study that gives them an additional tool by exploring the annual and monthly variability of the sea level in the Baltic Sea and adjacent seawaters, with focus on the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone. Over 10 years of reanalysis data from the Copernicus project have been used to conduct this investigation. The results are presented by means of maps showing the maximum range and the standard deviation of the sea level with a horizontal spatial resolution of about 1 km. A case study illustrates how the results can be used by the WEC developers to limit the energy absorption loss of their devices due to sea level variation. Depending on the WEC technology one wants to examine, the results lead to different conclusions. For the Uppsala point absorber L12 and the sea state considered in the case study, the most suitable sites where to deploy WEC parks are found in the Gotland Basins and in the Bothnian Sea, where the energy loss due to mean level variations is negligible.

scholarly journals Sea level variability in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone and adjacent seawaters: influence on a point absorbing wave energy converter

Ocean Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1517-1529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Castellucci ◽  
Erland Strömstedt
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Exclusive Economic Zone ◽  
Level Variation ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Sea Level Variability ◽  
Sea Level Variation ◽  
Economic Zone

Abstract. Low-frequency sea level variability can be a critical factor for several wave energy converter (WEC) systems, for instance, linear systems with a limited stroke length. Consequently, when investigating suitable areas for deployment of those WEC systems, sea level variability should be taken into account. In order to facilitate wave energy developers finding the most suitable areas for wave energy park installations, this paper describes a study that gives them additional information by exploring the annual and monthly variability of the sea level in the Baltic Sea and adjacent seawaters, with a focus on the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone. Overall, 10 years of reanalysis data from the Copernicus project have been used to conduct this investigation. The results are presented by means of maps showing the maximum range and the standard deviation of the sea level with a horizontal spatial resolution of about 1 km. A case study illustrates how the results can be used by the WEC developers to limit the energy absorption loss of their devices due to sea level variation. Depending on the WEC technology one wants to examine, the results lead to different conclusions. For the Uppsala point absorber L12 and the sea state considered in the case study, the most suitable sites where to deploy WEC parks from a sea level variation viewpoint are found in the Gotland basins and in the Bothnian Sea, where the energy loss due to sea level variations is negligible.

Force in the Connection Line for a Wave Energy Converter: Simulation and Measurement Experimental Setup

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Hai ◽  
Olle Svensson ◽  
Valeria Castellucci ◽  
Erik Lejerskog ◽  
Rafael Waters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Measurement System ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Force Measurement ◽  
Hydrodynamic Characteristic ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Wave Energy Converter ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Line Force ◽  
Force Measurement System

In order to capture ocean wave energy and transform it into electric energy, Uppsala University has developed a point absorber wave energy converter (WEC) for electricity production. For a better understanding of a torus shaped buoy’s performance, this paper conducts a force analysis under linear conditions, to investigate the hydrodynamic characteristic and line force differences between the torus buoy that is going to be deployed, and two similar cylindrical buoys. The result reveals the line force from this torus buoy is roughly 5% larger than from cylindrical buoys for the most energy dense wave climate in Lysekil test site, and negative added mass phenomena won’t have a significant impact for the line force. To measure the line force, a force measurement system has been designed. A detailed description is given on the design of the 500 kN force measurement system, and the major differences compared with former force measurement systems. Onshore test result has also been presented. With the force measurement experiment, hydrodynamic analysis for torus buoy can be validated when the system performs linearly, and extreme force for storm weather can be monitored to provide information for future WEC structure’s mechanical design.

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