CECO wave energy converter: Experimental proof of concept

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 061704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Rosa-Santos ◽  
Francisco Taveira-Pinto ◽  
Luís Teixeira ◽  
José Ribeiro
2018 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 02001
Author(s):  
Yingchen Yang ◽  
Fredrick Jenet ◽  
Deyanira Jimenez ◽  
Brandon Benavides ◽  
Jesus Cerda ◽  
...  

Our recent progress on development of a vertical-axis unidirectional rotary wave energy converter (WEC) is discussed in this work. The WEC features a vertical-axis rotor that preforms unidirectional rotation in waves. The vertical axis arrangement makes the WEC respond well to waves from any direction with no realignment needs. And, the unidirectional behavior of the rotor promises no wave-frequency discrimination, which is in comparison to reciprocating WECs that employ the resonant principle and are very frequency-specific. In our earlier proof-of-concept studies, we have successfully demonstrated two types of rotor designs: a lift type employing hydrofoil blades and a drag type using cup blades. In the present work, the two rotor types were further explored experimentally by employing more rotor configurations and blade shapes. The focus was on revealing the rotor responsiveness in simulated waves under a freewheeling condition. The experimental results were compared between a lift-type and drag-type rotor. The comparison provided in-depth understanding on common features of the two rotor types and major differences between them. The yielded research findings will directly guide the development of a prototype vertical-axis unidirectional WEC.


Author(s):  
Antonis I. Vakis ◽  
Harmen Meijer ◽  
Wout A. Prins

A novel wave energy converter, termed the Ocean Grazer, designed to extract energy from waves of varying profiles and energy contents has recently been proposed by the University of Groningen. The authors have performed preliminary modeling work to predict the behavior of the converter’s power take-off system, and constructed a proof-of-concept prototype to validate basic model predictions.


Author(s):  
Carlos Perez-Collazo ◽  
Deborah Greaves ◽  
Gregorio Iglesias

In a global scenario of climate change and raising threats to the marine environment, a sustainable exploitation of offshore wind and wave energy resources is not only crucial for the consolidation of both industries, but also to provide a reliable and accessible source of renewable energy. In this context, and with the shared challenge for both industries to reduce costs, the combination of wind and wave technologies has emerged. In particular, this research deals with a novel hybrid system that integrates an oscillating water column, wave energy converter, with an offshore wind turbine substructure. In this paper, the novel hybrid wind-wave energy converter is studied in a three steps process. First, assessing a preliminary concept by means of a concept development methodology for hybrid wind-wave energy converters. Secondly, an OWC WEC sub-system is defined, on the basis of the results from the first step. Finally, the proof of concept of the WEC sub-system is carried out by means of a physical modelling test campaign at the University of Plymouth’s COAST laboratory.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 226
Author(s):  
Theofano I. Koutrouveli ◽  
Enrico Di Lauro ◽  
Luciana das Neves ◽  
Tomás Calheiros-Cabral ◽  
Paulo Rosa-Santos ◽  
...  

Despite the efforts of developers, investors and scientific community, the successful development of a competitive wave energy industry is proving elusive. One of the most important barriers against wave energy conversion is the efficiency of the devices compared with all the associated costs over the lifetime of an electricity generating plant, which translates into a very high Levelised Cost of Energy (LCoE) compared to that of other renewable energy technologies such as wind or solar photovoltaic. Furthermore, the industrial roll-out of Wave Energy Converter (WEC) devices is severely hampered by problems related to their reliability and operability, particularly in open waters and during harsh environmental sea conditions. WEC technologies in multi-purpose breakwaters—i.e., a structure that retains its primary function of providing sheltered conditions for port operations to develop and includes electricity production as an added co-benefit—appears to be a promising approach to improve cost-effectiveness in terms of energy production. This paper presents the proof of concept study of a novel hybrid-WEC (HWEC) that uses two well understood power generating technologies, air and water turbines, integrated in breakwaters, by means of a composite modelling approach. Preliminary results indicate: firstly, hybridisation is an adequate approach to harness the available energy most efficiently over a wide range of metocean conditions; secondly, the hydraulic performance of the breakwater improves; finally, no evident negative impacts in the overall structural stability specific to the integration were observed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 170 ◽  
pp. 1020-1039
Author(s):  
S.D.G.S.P. Gunawardane ◽  
G.A.C.T. Bandara ◽  
Young-Ho Lee

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