Hebridean Marine Energy Resources: Wave-Power Characterisation Using a Buoy Network

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Vögler ◽  
Vengatesan Venugopal
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Energy Futures ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
Marine Energy ◽  
Outer Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides of Scotland were identified as an area with a high wave power resource of 42.4kW/m. The Outer Hebrides of Scotland are currently targeted by a range of developers for demonstration and commercial developments of wave energy converters and current planning efforts are based on initial deployments by 2014. Technology providers with well advanced plans to develop the Hebridean wave resource include Aquamarine Power (Oyster) [1], Pelamis (P2) [2] and Voith Wavegen (OWC) [3]; all of these companies are partners in the Hebridean Marine Energy Futures project [4] to help move the industry into the commercialisation stage. As part of the Hebridean Marine Energy Futures project, a three year programme aimed at developing a high resolution wave energy resource map to support the site selection process of marine energy developers, a network of three wave measuring buoys was deployed 15km offshore in a depth of 60m and at distances of 11km between buoys. Measured wind and wave data from this buoy network for autumn 2011 are analysed and presented in this paper along with estimated wave power for the same duration.

scholarly journals Modeling Sea Ice Effects for Wave Energy Resource Assessments

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3482
Author(s):  
Ruth Branch ◽  
Gabriel García-Medina ◽  
Zhaoqing Yang ◽  
Taiping Wang ◽  
Fadia Ticona Rollano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Wave Height ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
Wave Models ◽  
Mean Square Errors

Wave-generated power has potential as a valuable coastal resource, but the wave climate needs to be mapped for feasibility before wave energy converters are installed. Numerical models are used for wave resource assessments to quantify the amount of available power and its seasonality. Alaska is the U.S. state with the longest coastline and has extensive wave resources, but it is affected by seasonal sea ice that dampens the wave energy and the full extent of this dampening is unknown. To accurately characterize the wave resource in regions that experience seasonal sea ice, coastal wave models must account for these effects. The aim of this study is to determine how the dampening effects of sea ice change wave energy resource assessments in the nearshore. Here, we show that by combining high-resolution sea ice imagery with a sea ice/wave dampening parameterization in an unstructured grid, the Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) model improves wave height predictions and demonstrates the extent to which wave power decreases when sea ice is present. The sea ice parametrization decreases the bias and root mean square errors of wave height comparisons with two wave buoys and predicts a decrease in the wave power of up to 100 kW/m in areas around Prince William Sound, Alaska. The magnitude of the improvement of the model/buoy comparison depends on the coefficients used to parameterize the wave–ice interaction.

scholarly journals Impact of Climate Change on Wave Energy Resource in the Mediterranean Coast of Morocco

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2993
Author(s):  
Joan Pau Sierra ◽  
Ricard Castrillo ◽  
Marc Mestres ◽  
César Mösso ◽  
Piero Lionello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Energy Output ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
The Mediterranean

The increasing demand for energy and the impacts generated by CO2 emissions make it necessary to harness all possible renewable sources of energy, like wave power. Nevertheless, climate change may generate significant variations in the amount of wave energy available in a certain area. The aim of this paper is to study potential changes in the wave energy resource in the Mediterranean coast of Morocco due to climate change. To do this, wave datasets obtained by four institutes during the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment in the Mediterranean Region (Med-CORDEX) project are used. The future conditions correspond to the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios from the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The results show that projected future wave power is very similar to that of the present considering the whole area, although at some specific points there are slight changes that are more evident for the RCP8.5 scenario. Another remarkable result of this study is the significant increase of the temporal variability of wave power in future scenarios, in particular for RCP8.5. This will be detrimental for the deployment of wave energy converters in this area since their energy output will be more unevenly distributed over time, thus decreasing their efficiency.

scholarly journals Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the Pacific

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1264
Author(s):  
Emiliano Gorr-Pozzi ◽  
Héctor García-Nava ◽  
Marco Larrañaga ◽  
Melissa G. Jaramillo-Torres ◽  
Manuel G. Verduzco-Zapata
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Mexican Pacific ◽  
Wave Hindcast ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
Complete Test ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Decentralized Energy

Most wave energy converters (WECs) are designed to operate in high-latitude energetic seas, limiting their performance in regions usually dominated by milder conditions. The present study assesses the performance of complete test-stage WECs in farms that satisfy a decentralized energy scheme (DES) on the coast of Baja California, which is considered one of the most energetic regions along the Mexican Pacific. A high-resolution 11-year nearshore wave hindcast was performed and validated with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) data to characterize the wave energy resource in the study area. Two hotspots were identified from the wave power climatology. In these sites, the extractive capacities of seven well-known WEC technologies were determined based on their power matrices. Finally, the power extracted by small WEC farms, with the minimum number of devices required to satisfy a DES, was estimated. The studied region has moderate wave power availability with marked seasonality and low inter-annual variability. Out of all the evaluated devices, WaveDragon extracts the highest wave power; however, Pelamis has the best performance, with maximum monthly mean capacity factors up to 40%. Coupling WEC farms with storage modules or hybrid renewable systems are recommended to satisfy a continuous DES during the less energetic summer months.

scholarly journals HF Radars for Wave Energy Resource Assessment Offshore NW Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2070
Author(s):  
Ana Basañez ◽  
Vicente Pérez-Muñuzuri
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Resource Assessment ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Statistical Validation ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
Energy Converters

Wave energy resource assessment is crucial for the development of the marine renewable industry. High-frequency radars (HF radars) have been demonstrated to be a useful wave measuring tool. Therefore, in this work, we evaluated the accuracy of two CODAR Seasonde HF radars for describing the wave energy resource of two offshore areas in the west Galician coast, Spain (Vilán and Silleiro capes). The resulting wave characterization was used to estimate the electricity production of two wave energy converters. Results were validated against wave data from two buoys and two numerical models (SIMAR, (Marine Simulation) and WaveWatch III). The statistical validation revealed that the radar of Silleiro cape significantly overestimates the wave power, mainly due to a large overestimation of the wave energy period. The effect of the radars’ data loss during low wave energy periods on the mean wave energy is partially compensated with the overestimation of wave height and energy period. The theoretical electrical energy production of the wave energy converters was also affected by these differences. Energy period estimation was found to be highly conditioned to the unimodal interpretation of the wave spectrum, and it is expected that new releases of the radar software will be able to characterize different sea states independently.

scholarly journals Hardware-in-the-Loop Validation of Model Predictive Control of a Discrete Fluid Power Power Take-Off System for Wave Energy Converters

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 3668
Author(s):  
Anders H. Hansen ◽  
Magnus F. Asmussen ◽  
Michael M. Bech
Keyword(s):  
Model Predictive Control ◽  
Predictive Control ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Fluid Power ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Reactive Control ◽  
Power Extraction ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
Extraction Algorithm ◽  
Energy Converters

Model predictive control based wave power extraction algorithms have been developed and found promising for wave energy converters. Although mostly proven by simulation studies, model predictive control based algorithms have shown to outperform classical wave power extraction algorithms such as linear damping and reactive control. Prediction models and objective functions have, however, often been simplified a lot by for example, excluding power take-off system losses. Furthermore, discrete fluid power forces systems has never been validated experimentally in published research. In this paper a model predictive control based wave power extraction algorithm is designed for a discrete fluid power power take-off system. The loss models included in the objective function are based on physical models of the losses associated with discrete force shifts and throttling. The developed wave power extraction algorithm directly includes the quantized force output and the losses models of the discrete fluid power system. The experimental validation of the wave power extraction algorithm developed in the paper shown an increase of 14.6% in yearly harvested energy when compared to a reactive control algorithm.

Peakedness of Wave Systems Observed on the French Wave Energy Test Site (SEM-REV) Using a Spectral Partitioning Algorithm

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Baptiste Saulnier ◽  
Izan Le Crom
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Extreme Conditions ◽  
Multiple Wave ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
Marine Energy ◽  
Partitioning Algorithm ◽  
Spectral Partitioning ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Energy Converters

Located off the Guérande peninsula, SEM-REV is the French maritime facility dedicated to the testing of wave energy converters and related components. Lead by Ecole Centrale de Nantes through the LHEEA laboratory, its aim is to promote research alongside the development of new offshore technologies. To this end, the 1km2, grid-connected zone is equipped with a comprehensive instruments network sensing met-ocean processes and especially waves, with two identical directional Waverider buoys deployed on the site since 2009. For the design of moored floating structures and, a fortiori, floating marine energy converters, the knowledge of the main wave resource — for regular operation — but also extreme conditions — for moorings and device survivability — has to be as precise as possible. Also, the consideration of the multiple wave systems (swell, wind sea) making up the sea state is a key asset for the support of developers before and during the testing phase. To this end, a spectral partitioning algorithm has been implemented which enables the individual characterisation of wave systems, in particular that of their spectral peakedness which is especially addressed in this work. Peakedness has been shown to be strongly related to the groupiness of large waves and is defined here as the standard JONSWAP’s peak enhancement factor γ. Statistics related to this quantity are derived from the measurement network, with a particular focus on the extreme conditions reported on SEM-REV (Joachim storm).

Analysis of Wave Energy Sources in the North Atlantic Waters in View of Design Challenges

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose V. Taboada ◽  
Hirpa G. Lemu
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Structural Performance ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Wave Statistics ◽  
Wave Characteristics

This paper describes a wave energy analysis of North Atlantic waters and provides an overview of the available resources. The analysis was conducted using a scatter diagram data combined with wave statistics and empirical parameters given by wave height and periods. Such an overview is instrumental for modelling of wave energy sources, design of wave energy converter (WEC) devices and determination of locations of the devices. Previous survey of wave energy resources widely focused on determination of the reliability on installations of WECs. Though the renewable energy source that can be utilized from the waves is huge, the innovative work in design and development of WECs is insignificant and the available technologies still require further optimization. Furthermore, the wave potential of North Atlantic waters is not sufficiently studied and documented. Closer review of the literature also shows that wave energy conversion technology, compared with other conversion machines of renewable energy sources such as wind energy and solar energy, seems still immature and most of the research and development efforts in this direction are limited in scope. The design of energy converters is also highly dictated by the wave energy resource intensity distribution, which varies from North to South hemisphere. The immaturity of the technology can be attributed to several factors. Since there are a number of uncertainties on the accuracy of wave data, the design, location and installation of WECs face a number of challenges in terms of their service life, structural performance and topological configuration. As a result, collection and assessment of wave characteristics and the wave state conditions data serve as key inputs for development of robust, reliable, operable and affordable wave energy converters. The fact that a number of variables are involved in wave distribution characteristics and the extraction of wave power, treating these variables in the design process imposes immense challenges for the design optimization and hence the optimum energy conversion. The conversion machines are expected to extract as high wave energy as possible while their structural performance is ensured. The study reported in this paper is to analyse wave data over several years of return periods with a detailed validation for wave statistics and wave power. The analysis is intended to contribute in better understanding of the wave characteristics with influencing parameters that can serve as design optimization parameters. A method is proposed to conduct a survey and analysis of the available wave energy resources and the potential at cited locations. The paper concludes that wave energy data accuracy is the baseline for project scoping, coastal and offshore design, and environmental impact assessments.

Wave and tidal power

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean L. Millar
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Tidal Current ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Energy Difference ◽  
Tidal Range ◽  
Tidal Power ◽  
Floating Structures ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
High Tidal Range

This chapter reviews how electricity can be generated from waves and tides. The UK is an excellent example, as the British Isles have rich wave and tidal resources. The technologies for converting wave power into electricity are easily categorized by location type. 1. Shoreline schemes. Shoreline Wave Energy Converters (WECs) are installed permanently on shorelines, from where the electricity is easily transmitted and may even meet local demands. They operate most continuously in locations with a low tidal range. A disadvantage is that less power is available compared to nearshore resources because energy is lost as waves reach the shore. 2. Nearshore schemes. Nearshore WECs are normally floating structures needing seafloor anchoring or inertial reaction points. The advantages over shoreline WECs are that the energy resource is much larger because nearshore WECs can access long-wavelength waves with greater swell, and the tidal range can be much larger. However, the electricity must be transmitted to the shore, thus raising costs. 3. Offshore schemes. Offshore WECs are typically floating structures that usually rely on inertial reaction points. Tidal range effects are insignificant and there is full access to the incident wave energy resource. However, electricity transmission is even more costly. Tidal power technologies fall into two fundamental categories:1. Barrage schemes. In locations with high tidal range a dam is constructed that creates a basin to impound large volumes of water. Water flows in and out of the basin on flood and ebb tides respectively, passing though high efficiency turbines or sluices or both. The power derives from the potential energy difference in water levels either side of the dam. 2. Tidal current turbines. Tidal current turbines (also known as free flow turbines) harness the kinetic energy of water flowing in rivers, estuaries, and oceans. The physical principles are analogous to wind turbines, allowing for the very different density, viscosity, compressibility, and chemistry of water compared to air. Waves are caused by winds, which in the open ocean are often of gale force (speed >14 m/s).

scholarly journals Wave Power Assessment in the Middle Part of the Southern Coast of Java Island

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2633
Author(s):  
Addy Wahyudie ◽  
Tri Bagus Susilo ◽  
Fatima Alaryani ◽  
Cuk Supriyadi Ali Nandar ◽  
Mohammed Abdi Jama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Significant Wave Height ◽  
Middle Part ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Southern Coast ◽  
Power Intensity ◽  
Wave Energy Converters ◽  
Potential Area ◽  
Suitable Location

An assessment of the wave power at the southern coast of the middle part of Java Island (Indonesia) was conducted based on a 15-year hindcast spectral wave model using the MIKE 21 Spectral Wave software. The model was forced with wind data with a 0.125° spatial interval and hourly time resolution. The obtained model was validated with field data collected from a buoy station that provided a set of significant wave height data with an hourly data interval for the whole month of June 2014. The validation showed that the obtained model matched the observed data with a minor average error. A spatial analysis was conducted in order to find the most suitable location for installing wave energy converters while taking into consideration the potential area demand, the wave power intensity, and the distance from the shore. Moreover, spatial analysis is conducted in order to find a suitable location to install wave energy converters, with consideration to potential area demand, wave power intensity, and distance from the shore. The best prospective location reached 30 kW/m of mean wave power intensity, 2.04 m of mean significant wave height, 8.9 s of mean wave period, 150 m of distance from the shoreline.

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