WAVE POWER

(Taken from http://www.rise.org.au/info/Res/wave/index.html)

What Causes Waves?

Ocean waves are produced by a variety of forces including meteorological forces (such as wind & air pressure),
astronomical forces (gravitational effects of the Moon and Sun), and geological forces (sub sea earthquakes can
produce tsunamis). This portal file will focus on the meteorological forces that act upon Earth's oceans.

Figure 1 A large ocean wave breaking near the shore

The wind actually transfers some of its energy into the water. The water is able to "gain" energy from the wind
because of the friction between the wind and the water. We can all test this by blowing over a cup of water and
observing the "ripples" or waves that result. Over oceans and lakes, the waves that are generated as a result of
the wind are called "ocean surface waves".

Initially, light winds generate small ripples called capillary waves on the water surface. If the wind increases,
the added roughness created by the capillary waves increases the rate of energy transfer and waves begin to
form on the ocean surface. In the region where wind is blowing across the ocean surface and waves are being
generated, the sea surface is characterised by steep waves with many different lengths moving randomly in the
direction of the wind. This condition is referred to as "sea". How large the waves get is dependent on 3 factors:

1. The strength of the wind

2. The amount of time the wind blows
3. The distance (called fetch) over which the wind blows in a straight line across the ocean

The stronger the wind and the longer it blows across the fetch, the larger the sea will become. A fully developed
"sea" occurs when the waves reach the maximum size possible for a specific wind, duration and fetch.

The Resource

The World Energy Council has estimated the global wave energy potential to be 2,000 GW. The global wave
power resource is in excess of 2 TW, with potential for generation of more than 2000 TWh annually.

Wave energy (or wave power) is the name given to the energy contained in the waves. The amount of energy in
a single wave is considerable. The potential energy of a set of waves is proportional to wave height squared
times wave period (the time between wave crests). Longer period waves have relatively longer wavelengths and
move faster. The potential energy is equal to the kinetic energy (that can be expended). Wave power is
expressed in kilowatts per metre at a location, such as a shoreline. Excluding waves created by major storms, the
largest waves are about 15 metres high and have a period of about 15 seconds. Such waves carry about 1700
kilowatts of potential power across each meter of wavefront. A good wave power location will have an average
flux much less than this: perhaps about 50 kW/m.

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 Figure 3 The Global Wave Resource in kW per metre of crest.

For a typical swell of 10-second period, the power flux rate is 40 kW/m if the amplitude is 1 m (gentle waves)
and 1000 kW/m if the amplitude is 5 m (large waves). In the latter situation (high waves of a single frequency),
the theoretical power available is 1000 MW per kM of the coastline. This is comparable to an ordinary coal-
fired power station. However in practice only a fraction of this energy can be extracted, because wave intensity
has a large variability hourly, daily and seasonally.

Wave energy generation devices fall into two general classifications, fixed and floating.

Fixed Generating Devices

Fixed generating devices are devices that are either built into
the shoreline (i.e. on breakwaters), or fixed to the seabed in
shallow water. Fixed systems have some significant
advantages over floating systems, particularly in the area of
maintenance. However, the number of suitable sites available
for fixed devices is limited. The Oscillating Water Column
and the TAPCHAN as described below are examples of fixed
wave energy generation devices.
Oscillating Water Column

The Oscillating Water Column (OWC) generates electricity in

a two step process. As a wave enters the column, it forces the
air in the column past a turbine and increases the pressure
within the column. As the wave retreats, the air is drawn back
past the turbine due to the reduced air pressure on the ocean
side of the turbine (Figures 4a and b). Irrespective of the
airflow direction, the turbine (referred to as a Wells turbine,
after its inventor) turns in the same direction and drives a
generator to produce electricity.

Figure 4a & b Schematic of an Oscillating Water Column

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Figure 4c Schematic of an OWC device
Figure 4d OWC device established by
IITM at Vizhinjam, Kerala, India (110 kW)

Figure 5 The LIMPET Oscillating

Water Column front and rear, installed
on the Isle of Islay, Scotland.

OWC technology is in use in the Isle

of Islay, Scotland, where a system
called LIMPET has been installed
since 2000 (Figure 5). This system has
a maximum output of 500 kW. It is
ideal for locations where there is
strong wave energy, such as
breakwaters, coastal defences, land
reclamation schemes and harbour walls. This form of energy generation is suitable for producing power for the
national grid. In the Isle of Islay, the electricity generated is being used to power an electric bus, the first bus in
the world to use wave power as its fuel. The performance has been optimised for annual average wave
intensities of between 15 and 25 kW/m. The water column feeds a pair of counter-rotating turbines, each of
which drives a 250 kW generator, giving a nameplate rating of 500 kW. The LIMPET’s design makes it easy to
build and install. Its low profile gives low visibility, so it doesn’t intrude on coastal landscapes or views.

TAPCHAN

TAPCHAN, or tapered channel systems consist of a tapered channel feeding into a reservoir that is constructed
on a cliff as shown in Figure 6. The narrowing of the channel causes the waves to increase their amplitude
(wave height) as they move towards the cliff face.
Eventually the waves spill over the walls of the
channel and into the reservoir, which is positioned
several meters above mean sea level. The kinetic
energy of the moving wave is converted into
potential energy as the water is stored in the
reservoir. The generation of electricity is then
similar to a hydroelectric power plant. The stored
water is then fed through a Kaplan turbine.

Figure 6 TAPCHAN wave energy device

The concept of TAPCHAN is an adaptation of

traditional hydroelectric power production. With
very few moving parts, all contained within the
generation system, TAPCHAN systems have low
maintenance costs and are reliable. TAPCHAN
systems also overcome the issue of power on demand, as the reservoir is able to store the energy until it is

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required. Unfortunately, TAPCHAN systems are not suitable for all coastal regions. Suitable locations for
TAPCHAN systems must have consistent waves, with a good average wave energy and a tidal range of less than
1m, suitable coastal features including deep water near to shore and a suitable location for a reservoir.

WaveRoller

The WaveRoller device is a plate anchored on the sea bottom by its lower part and pivots back and forth. The
back and forth movement of bottom waves moves the plate, and the kinetic energy produced is collected by a
piston pump. This energy can be converted to electricity either by a generator linked to the WaveRoller unit, or
by a closed hydraulic system in combination with a generator/turbine system. WaveRoller is a modular concept,
and in practice this means that the plant capacity is formed by connecting a number of production modules into
a WaveRoller plant (Figure 7a). Due to the modular design, the WaveRoller plant can be taken into production
gradually, module by module. AW-Energy claim that the modules are also easily maintained and electricity
production can continue during unit maintenance. Figure 7b explains the concept of a Pendulor device that is
similar to the WaveRoller but rests on the ocean floor. The incident waves pushes the door hinged at the top
which acts as a pendulum. This motion operates a hydraulic pump which pressurizes fluid and the is pressure is
used to generate power.

Figure 7a A schematic of AW-Energy’s WaveRoller Figure 7b A Pendulor Device

individual unit and farm system

The company that is developing the WaveRoller, AW-Energy, has conducted WaveRoller marine tests in the
European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland, which have verified the energy generation
potential of bottom waves and the suitability of WaveRoller in converting this energy source into electricity.
The results suggest that WaveRoller will be able to leap-frog other ocean energy technologies in terms of
performance and economic considerations. WaveRoller is best suited for locations where wave periods are long
and the swell is strong. Furthermore, due to the nature of bottom waves, the power levels achieved throughout
the year in these locations fluctuate considerably less than for surface wave devices or wind energy. Based on an
estimated nominal power output of 13 kW per individual WaveRoller plate, the investment cost amounts to
approx. 2100 euros per kW already at the pilot stage.

Floating Generating Devices

Floating wave energy generation devices are systems that are floating in the ocean, either close to shore or
offshore. The following devices are examples of
floating generating devices:

Pelamis

Figure 8 Pelamis machine pointing into the waves: it

attenuates the waves, gathering more energy than its
narrow profile suggests.

The Pelamis (Figure 8) is a semi-submerged,

articulated structure composed of sections linked by
hinged joints. The motion of these joints is resisted by
hydraulic rams, which pump high-pressure oil through
hydraulic motors. The motors drive generators to
produce electricity. Several devices can be connected

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together and linked to shore through a single seabed cable. The machine is held in position by a mooring system
comprising of a combination of floats and weights, which prevent the mooring cables becoming taut to maintain
the Pelamis positioned and allow it to swing head on to oncoming waves. The 750 kW full-scale prototype is
120m long and 3.5 m in diameter and contains three power conversion modules, each rated at 250 kW. Each
module contains a complete electro-hydraulic power generation system.

Salter Duck

The Salter Duck is another floating wave energy device, like the
Pelamis, which generates electricity through the harmonic
motion of the floating part of the device, (as opposed to fixed
systems, which use a fixed turbine which is powered by the
motion of the wave). In these systems, the devices rise and fall
according to the motion of the wave and electricity is generated
through the motion. The Duck rotates with a nodding motion as
the wave passes. This motion pumps a hydraulic fluid that drives
a hydraulic motor, which in turn, drives an electrical generator.
The Salter Duck (Figure 9) is able to produce energy extremely
efficiently, however its development was stalled during the
1980s due to a miscalculation in the cost of energy production
by a factor of 10 and it has only been in recent years when the
technology was reassessed and the error identified.

Figure 9 A schematic of the Salter Duck wave energy conversion device.

Wave Dragon

The Wave Dragon is essentially an overtopping device that elevates ocean waves to a reservoir above sea level
where water is let out through a number of turbines and in this way transformed into electricity (Figure 9). The
Wave Dragon is a very simple construction and has only the turbines as the moving parts, which is useful for
operating offshore under extreme forces and fouling. The Wave Dragon is moored in relatively deep water to
take advantage of the ocean waves before they lose energy as they reach the coastal area. The device is designed
to stay as stationary as possible, simply utilising the potential energy in the water that overtops it. This water is
stored temporarily in a large reservoir creating a head, i.e. the difference between the "mean" level of the ocean
surface and the water surface in the reservoir. The water is let out of the Wave Dragon reservoir through several
turbines generating electricity in a similar way to
hydroelectric power plants. The Wave Dragon is
designed to be sited offshore at more than 20 to 30
meters depth to produce between 4 to 11 MW,
depending on wave activity.

Figure 9 Waves overtopping a test wave generator of the Wave Dragon in Nissum-Bedding, Denmark.

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Archimedes Wave Swing

The Archimedes Wave Swing (AWS) generates electricity by drawing energy from sea swells. It is a simple
system of connected air chambers utilising a flywheel effect, using the heave of the sea to produce electrical
energy. The AWS consists of two cylinders. The lower
cylinder is fixed to the seabed while the upper cylinder
moves up and down under the influence of waves (Figure
10). Simultaneously, magnets, which are fixed to the
upper cylinder, move along a coil. As a result, the motion
of the floater is damped and electricity is made. The
interior of the AWS is filled with air and when the upper
cylinder moves downwards, the air inside is pressurised.
As a result, a counteracting force is created which forces
the upper cylinder to move up again. For long waves,
amplification can be up to three times the wave elevation,
while this is even more for short waves. Amplification can
be compared with the effect of a swing. If one pushes the
swing at the right moment, motion will be amplified.

Figure 10 The pre installed 2MW Archimedes Wave Swing before being totally submerged.

The Mighty Whale

Since 1987, the focus has been on a floating device named

the Mighty Whale (Figure 11). Projected applications for a
row of such devices include energy supply to fish farms in
the calm waters behind the devices and aeration/purification
of seawater. The prototype dimensions were chosen to be
50 m (Length) x 30 m (Breadth) x 12 m (Depth). The
design called for it to float at even keel at a draft of 8 m.
The Mighty Whale generates electricity when waves enter
the 3 air chambers in the front part of the device. The
internal water surface moves up and down generating
pneumatic pressure, causing the air turbines to spin. This
causes the generators connected to the turbines to produce
electricity at a maximum output of 110 kW.
Figure 11 The Mighty Whale launch on March 24,1998.

Energetech

Energetech Australia Pty Ltd has produced a

prototype model of a new type of oscillating water
column. The system uses a parabolic wall, which
focuses wave energy into the column. Energetech
is to construct a 300 kW wave power generator on
the breakwater at Port Kembla (Figure 12). The
ocean trial of the Energetech wave energy device
took place at Port Kembla on October 26 2005. A
proportion of the power generated was used to
produce desalinated water on-board the device. In
two metre waves with periods of seven seconds,
the results from the trial indicate the device will
produce 321 kW, compared with previous
predictions of 268 kW.

Figure 12 The Energetech wave powered generator off the coast at Port Kembla NSW Australia.

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CETO

CETO is a wave power generation system that uses arrays of submerged diaphragm units to pressurised
seawater to operate land based generation
equipment to desalinate water and produce
electricity. CETO’s developers, Seapower Pacific,
are testing a wave energy prototype that is housed
in a 20 metre steel hull and is deployed in around 7
metres of water near the shore at Fremantle
(Figure 13). CETO is anchored permanently on the
sea floor, as opposed to floating, or semi
submersible devices. This protects against storms
and other ocean forces. As waves move over the
top of the unit, they press down on a disc that
transmits the force to pumps inside, which deliver
pressurised water to the shore. CETO’s is also not
exposed to possible damage from storms or
shipping interference because of its location on the
seabed.

Figure 13 The CETO wave energy prototype in Fremantle, being transported into position

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