“ELECTRICITY FROM OCEAN WAVES”

Bachelor of Technology
In
Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Submitted by:

Name :K.Tejavardhan Yadav

H.T.NO:15H51A0285

Technical Seminar Coordinator

Mr.Ch.Sankar Rao, Assoc.Prof.
Dept. Of EEE, CMRCET

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

CMR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
(Autonomous)
(NAAC Accredited with ‘A’ Grade & NBA Accredited)
(Approved by AICTE, Permanently Affiliated to JNTU
Hyderabad)
KANDLAKOYA, MEDCHAL ROAD, HYDERABAD - 501401.
2018-19
 INDEX

1.ABSTRUCT 01
2.INTRODUCTION 02
3.WAVE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 03
4.TERMINATOR DEVICIES 05
ATTENUATORS
POINT ABSORBERS
OVERTOPPING DEVICIES
OSCILLATING WATER COLUMN

5. ATTENUATORS 06
6. POINT ABSORBERS 09
7. OVERTOPPING DEVICIES 13
OVERTOPPING THEORY 15
CATEGORIZATION OF OVER TOPPING WEC 16

8. OSCILLATING WATER COLUMN 18

9.CONCLUSION 22
 ABSTRACT
ELECTRICICY FROM OCEANS WAVES
Wave power is the capture of energy of wind waves to do
useful work – for example, electricity generation, water
desalination, or pumping water. A machine that exploits wave
power is a wave energy converter (WEC).

Wave power is distinct from tidal power, which captures the

energy of the current caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun
and Moon. Waves and tides are also distinct from ocean
currents which are caused by other forces including breaking
waves, wind, the Coriolis effect, cabbeling, and differences in
temperature and salinity.

Wave-power generation is not a widely employed commercial

technology, although there have been attempts to use it since
at least 1890.
 INTRODUCTION
The consumption of energy all over the world is estimated to
rise over the next decades. The conventional methods of
energy generation are contributing to severe environmental
effects that are still obscure. The jeopardy of further use of
fossil fuels have brought renewable energy technologies under
a spotlight. The renewable energy resources like wind, solar,
ocean, biomass and geothermal heat are among the emerging
resources of energy in today’s world. After wind, solar and
biomass energy, ocean energy is the most imminent resource
of energy. Upto 70 percent of earth’s surface is covered up with
oceans which constitutes ample amount of energy in the form
of wave, tidal, marine current and thermal gradient. The wave
energy is developed due to the winds interacting with the
surface of the ocean. The process of wave power extraction
does not produce any waste or emit CO2; it does not induce
any noise pollution and is also ecological. Also, compared to
other renewable energy resources, wave energy can yield
power throughout the year. The energy flux attainable in the
wave energy is more then that attainable from solar, wind, and
other renewable sources.
The energy in the waves is a concentrated form of solar
energy: the sun heats the atmospheres unevenly and the
differences in pressure create currents in the atmospheres
(known as winds), and winds blowing over the ocean surface
transfer their energy to the oceans in the form of waves. Wave
generation depends on three parameters of the wind: the wind
3speed, fetch (the distance in the sea over which the wind
transfers its energy to the waves) and duration.
Wave energy technologies

Wave energy technologies consist of a number of components:

1) the structure and prime mover that captures the energy of
the wave, 2) foundation or mooring keeping the structure and
prime mover in place, 3) the power take-off (PTO) system by
which mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy,
and 4) the control systems to safeguard and optimise
performance in operating conditions.
There are different ways in which wave energy technologies
can be categorised,1 e.g., by the way the wave energy is
converted into mechanical energy or by the technology used. In
this technology brief, we use a very broad categorisation for
oscillating water columns (OWCs), oscillating body converters
and overtopping converters
Oscillating Water Columns are conversion devices with a semi-
submerged chamber, keeping a trapped air pocket above a
column of water. Waves cause the column to act like a piston,
moving up and down and thereby forcing the air out of the
chamber and back into it. This continuous movement generates
a reversing stream of high-velocity air, which is channelled
through rotorblades driving an air turbine-generator group to
produce electricity.
One way to categorise wave energy technologies is by how the
device extracts the surge, heave or sway motions of the wave (or a
combination of each) (EMEC, 2014). In general, point absorbers
convert the “heave” to drive a piston up and down, terminators and
oscillating wave surge converters convert the “surge”, and
attenuators convert the “pitch” of the wave to drive a rotor. Over
half (53%) of WEC concepts developed are point absorbers, 33%
terminators, and 14% attenuators (IRENA, 2014).
Ocean Wave Energy Technologies
The wave energy devices being developed and tested today are
highly diverse, and a variety of technologies have been proposed
to capture the energy from waves. Some of the more promising
designs are undergoing demonstration testing at commercial
scales.
Wave technologies have been designed to be installed in the
nearshore, offshore, and far offshore locations. While wave
energy technologies are intended to be installed at or near the
water's surface, there can be major differences in their technical
concept and design. For example, they may differ in their
orientation to the waves or in the manner in which they convert
energy from the waves.
Although wave power technologies are continuing to develop,
there are four basic applications that may be suitable for
deployment on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS): point
absorbers, attenuators, overtopping devices, and terminators.
 Terminator devices
 extend perpendicular to the direction of the wave and
capture or reflect the power of the wave. These devices are
typically onshore or nearshore; however, floating versions
have been designed for offshore applications. The oscillating
water column is a form of terminator in which water enters
through a subsurface opening into a chamber, trapping air
above. The wave action causes the captured water column to
move up and down like a piston, forcing the air though an
opening connected to a turbine to generate power. These
devices generally have power ratings of 500 kW to 2 MW,
depending on the wave climate and the device dimension

 Attenuators
 point absorber
 Overtopping devices
 Oscillating water column

Attenuators
attenuators are long multisegment floating structures oriented
parallel to the direction of the waves. They ride the waves like a
ship, extracting energy by using restraints at the bow of the
device and along its length. The differing heights of waves
along the length of the device causes flexing where the
segments connect. The segments are connected to hydraulic
pumps or other converters to generate power as the waves
move across. A transformer in the nose of the unit steps up the
power-to-line voltage for transmission to shore. Power is fed
down an umbilical cable to a junction box in the seabed,
connecting it and other machines via a common subsea cable
to shore.
Structural elements
The structure is a steel structure that can be built locally using
standard construction techniques available at most shipyards.
The device structure has been designed using standard
offshore construction principles, and a leading offshore
technology consulting firm independently verified the design.
there are different barriers that generation of wave energy has
yet to pass, but one of the biggest ones is its costs. The
predicted cost of energy from these technologies is relatively
high compared to other renewables, but significant cost
reduction potential is expected in the long term.
Waves have the characteristic that once created they can travel
for many kilometres practically without energy losses.In that
sense, the energy from the sun reaches the coasts, where most
of the populations of coastal countries are located, in a
concentrated and fairly continuous way. the right type of
location is done under a careful techno-economic
evaluation. We have identified 4 different types of wave energy
capturing devices that even though all of them are installed at
the surface or near the surface of the ocean they differ in the
way they interact with the waves, capture the wave energy and
the way they convert this energy into electricity.
Mooring
The mooring consists of a 3-point slack-mooring configuration.
The mooring allows the device to turn into wave direction within
its mooring constraints. The mooring and survivability of the
system has been simulated theoretically and tested in wave
tanks. While the mooring is probably the least mature element
in the overall system and will need to be looked at closely and
adapted to the specific site requirements, it does not raise any

concerns. The mooring and survivability has been independently

analysed and verified by one of the leading offshore technology
consultancy firms and is designed to withstand the 100-year
storm wave.

Performance
The device is able to rapidly tune to the incident wave climate
using a digitally controlled hydraulic system and detune to over-
sized waves. A large amount of effort has gone into optimizing
power conversion train has an average efficiency of 80% and
future versions will likely show improvements in conversion
efficiencies and the capacity factor is of 40%.

Survivability
The Pelamis has excellent survivability characteristics. Being a
relatively narrow device, which will point into the wave and is able
to completely de-adjust to large waves, it will always minimize
loads on its mooring system. The power take off and control
subsystems have been designed with many redundancies in
place to minimize reactive maintenance such as the required
intervention after a storm. The estimated life duration of this
device is 15 years.

Operation&Maintenance
The device is designed to be quickly disconnected from its
mooring and towed into a nearby port for maintenance
overhauls. Many subsystems, such as power modules, are
designed in such a way that they can be lifted out with a crane
and replaced with a tested subsystem. Remote diagnostic
capability, extensive instrumentation and a high level of
redundancy will minimize the physical intervention requirements
and will allow O&M activities to be carried out during suitable
weather windows.
Point absorber
The point absorber is a type of wave energy device that could
potentially provide a large amount of power in a relatively small
device, compared to other technologies. While there are
several different designs and strategies for deploying these
types of devices, they all work in essentially the same
manner. Point absorbers are relatively small compared to
wave length, and may be bottom mounted or floating
structures.

Structural elements
The structure is made of steel and can be built locally using
standard construction techniques available in most shipyards.
The structural elements were designed using finite element
analysis.

Power Take Off

The hose pump delivers water into an accumulator to
smooth the power output over the wave cycles. The water
pressure is then discharged, driving a hydraulic impulse
turbine. The power take off can be designed as a closed
loop or open loop system. Regulation for the device is
accomplished by slowly changing the pressure level in the
hydraulic accumulator (the device cannot be rapidly
adjusted to each wave that passes through). The lack of
the power take-off system’s ability to rapidly modify the
system will reduce its performance.

Grid Connection
The AquaBuOY is synchronized with the grid using a
variable speed AC-DC-AC converter and the voltage is
increased with a step-up transformer. Flexible riser cables
connect the devices to a junction box on the ocean floor.
This aspect is standard and does not raise any significant
concerns.

Installation
As the AquaBuOY is a relatively small device, it can be
easily towed into a nearby port for major overhaul
activities. In order to tow it into a nearby port, it would be
required to be brought into horizontal position. This can
be accomplished using a crane to bring the counter-
reaction tube into horizontal position or by pumping air
into sub-sea compartments.

Performance
Power Output comparison of wave tank testing and
theoretical models developed by the company revealed an
uncertainty in performance predictions. The root of the
uncertainty may be that the system has only modelled the
counter reacting tube as a mass without considering
hydrodynamic interactions. The performance of this
device will be limited by the capabilities of the power take
off, which is only able to slowly adjust the device to the
dominant wave period as outlined in the power take off
section. The manufacturer also quotes a capacity per
device of 250 kW, with an associated capacity factor of
about 12% (assuming a 25kW/m wave climate). It is
predicted that a capacity factor of around 40% could
provide a near optimal economic value of electrical energy
for this type of a device.

Survivability
The AquaBuOY has successfully solved the end-stop
problem. If the hose pumps are elongated to a certain
point, the piston assembly in the counter reacting tube will
come into an area where the reaction tube widens. As a
result, the water inside the tube is able to bypass the
piston assembly and discharge without creating further
dynamic stresses in the device structure. As such, it is an
effective overload mechanism. The estimated life duration
of this device is 20 years.

Operation & Maintenance

Remote monitoring and supervisory controls have not yet
been designed. Ease of maintenance concerns come from
the difficulty of assessing submersed components. These
will likely include the hose pumps, piston assembly and
check-valves. In order to carry out any repair on these
components, the system will be required to be floated into
horizontal position in order to access them. Turbo-
machinery elements are likely accessible within the buoy
hull. Alternative O&M strategies are under investigation
by the manufacturer that would relieve some of these
issues.

The cheapest cost/performance site studied was North Uist for

the attenuator device, while the most expensive one was
Tenerife for the point absorber. In terms of power performance,
the point absorber device had a wide range of functionality in
different sea states, but the attenuator device higher operating
availability (capacity factor). Wave energy is still a very costly
energy mainly due to the environment where it operates in, and
has yet a long ride to reach its competitor, offshore wind energy
Overtopping devices
Overtopping terminators, also referred to just as terminators,
are devices that take advantage of wave energy to generate
electricity. Scientists have been doing research since the 1990s
to develop overtopping devices, but not until recently has
significant progress been made (Bevilacqua & Zanuttigh, 2011).
The overtopping terminator is a large device that is categorized
as a wave capturer. This means that instead of using a wave’s
kinetic energy to generate power like other wave energy
devices, the terminator captures waves and takes advantage of
their potential energy (Katofsky, 2008). In fact, the terminator
got its name because of the way it absorbs or “terminates” all of
a wave’s power. (Bedard et al, 2010).

Plans have been proposed to install overtopping terminators

both on and offshore. However, after Demark made great
improvements with the offshore model it became the primary
method of development and the onshore method’s progress
diminished (Bevilacqua & Zanuttigh, 2011). Now overtopping
terminators are described as large, floating reservoirs with
ramps and reflectors extending off the end and turbines located
at the bottom of the reservoir. The terminators are up to 390
meters wide and can hold between 1,500 and 14,000 cubic
meters of water. The average cost to build and install one of
these devices is a steep $10 to $12 million but its high
efficiency makes it worth the cost in the long run (US Dept of
Energy, 2009).
When waves first approach an overtopping terminator, they
bump into its reflectors. These reflectors are attached to the
main body of the floating device and are angled outward in
order to direct as much wave energy up to the device as
possible.

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.
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
The overtopping devices are like hydroelectric turbine system
as they utilize the wave kinetic energy to lift the sea water
higher ; in other word they transfer kinetic energy of the wae
into potential energy of the water. After being lifted upp, the
water is contained in reservoir for later uses. The water is then
dropped through a hydro turbine in order to make electricity.In
some other case other mechanical energy conversion
systemcan be used instead of the hydro turbine. An example of
this type of device is the Wave Dragon.

Overtopping theory
The theory [VI.]for modeling overtopping devices varies greatly
from the traditional linear systems approach used by most other
WECs. A linear systems approach may be used with
overtopping devices. This considers the water oscillating up
and down the ramp as the excited body, and the crest of the
ramp as a highly nonlinear power take-off system. However
due to the non-linearities it is too computationally demanding to
model usefully. Therefore a more physical approach is taken.
The time series of the overtopping flow is modeled, thus,
relying heavily upon empirical data. Figure 8 shows the
schematic of flows for the Wave Dragon.
Depending on the current wave state (Hs, Tp) and the crest
freeboard Rc (height of the ramp crest above mean water level,
MWL) of the device, water will overtop into the reservoir
(Qovertop). The power gathered by the reservoir is a product of
this overtopping flow, the crest freeboard and gravity. If the
reservoir is overfilled when a large volume is deposited in the
basin there will be loss from it (Qspill). To minimize this, the
reservoir level h must be kept below its maximum level (hR).
The useful hydraulic power converted by the turbines is the
product of turbine flow (Qturbine), the head across them, water
density and gravity. Within the field of coastal engineering there
is a considerable body of work looking at the overtopping rates
on rubble-mound breakwaters, sea walls and dykes. The
studies of Van der Meer and Janssen (1994) provided the basis
of the theory on the average expected overtopping rate. Gerloni
et al. (1995) investigated the time distribution of the flow.
However this work was focused on structures designed to
minimize the rate of overtopping, counter to the aims of the
Wave Dragon. Kofoed (2002) performed laboratory tests on
many permutations of ramp angles, profiles, crest freeboard
levels in a variety of sea states, all with heavy overtopping
rates. These studies showed the Wave Dragon's patented
double curved ramp to be highly efficient at converting incident
wave power. When comparing results between different scales
of model testing it is very useful to use nondimensional figures
to describe the variables. Results from the model scale can
then simply be used for any size of device.
Categorization of overtopping WECs
Overtopping devices have been designed and tested for both
onshore and offshore applications. So, they are categorized in
two groups: coast based and floating structures

a) Coast based devices

Among the few WECs that have been built and tested is the
Norwegian TAPCHAN (TAPered CHANnel). This device is
equipped with the same machinery as a low pressure
hydroelectric power station with a reservoir and a Kaplan
turbine. The reservoir is fed by waves trapped by a broad
channel opening that reaches into the sea. Towards the
reservoir the channel is tapered and bent in such a way that the
waves pile up and spill over the channel margin. Studies have
also been performed on a variation of this coast based
approach where overtopping water is not used to produce
power but to recirculate water in harbors (in a project called
Kingston harbor pump). This approach can be useful at
locations where only a small tide exists and therefore only
insufficient flushing of the harbors occurs. As the coast based
overtopping devices work best in areas with small tidal ranges
this can be a very useful application.

b) Floating device
The coast based devices are most applicable in coastal regions
with deep water close to a rocky coastline. Therefore for
countries where the coast generally consists of gentle sloped
beaches, such as Denmark, the coast based devices are not
appropriate as the waves lose the majority of their energy
content through bottom friction and wave breaking before they
reach the shore. Thus a number of floating WECs utilizing wave
overtopping have been proposed. The fact that these devices
are floating not only makes it possible to move them to regions
with larger wave energy density but also solves problems
associated with tide and enables relatively easy control of the
crest level of the slope. Among the first devices to use this
approach was the Sea Power WEC from Sweden. This device
has been tested in prototype scale. In Denmark one of the
WECs which has been most developed is the Wave Dragon
(WD). The WD combines ideas from TAPCHAN and Sea
Power and is a floating structure equipped with wave reflectors
that focus the waves towards the slope.
Oscillating Water Columns ;
(OWCs) are a type of Wave Energy Converter (WEC) that
harness energy from the oscillation of the seawater inside a
chamber or hollow caused by the action of waves. OWCs have
shown promise as a renewable energy source with low
environmental impact. Because of this, multiple companies
have been working to design increasingly efficient OWC
models. OWC are devices with a semi-submerged chamber or
hollow open to the sea below, keeping a trapped air pocket
above a water column.
Waves force the column to act like a piston, moving up and
down, forcing the air out of the chamber and back into it. This
continuous movement force a bidirectional stream of high-
velocity air, which is channelled through a Power-Take-Off
(PTO).
The PTO system converts the airflow into energy. In models
that convert airflow to electricity, the PTO system consists of a
bidirectional turbine. This means that the turbine always spins
the same direction regardless of the direction of airflow,
allowing for energy to be continuously generated. Both the
collecting chamber and PTO systems will be explained further
under "Basic OWC Components.
Wave energy stands out among the different renewable energy
sources not only for its high potential –
which, according to the International Energy Agency, can
reach up to 80,000 TWh / year – but also for its high energy
density, the highest of all renewables
The OE Buoy, currently under development by OceanEnergy,
has been successfully tested in 2006 using a 28-ton 1:4 scale
model anchored off the cost of Ireland. The OE Buoy is
designed to be anchored far off shore in deep water where
storms generate wave activity. It is powered by a Wells turbine
and based on a 3-month test, full scale OE Buoys are expected
to output approximately 500MW. OE Buoys are assembled on
land and then transported by boat to optimal energy locations
Wave energy is derived from the winds as they blow across the
oceans, and this energy transfer provides a convenient and
natural concentration of wind energy in the water near the free
surface. Once created, waves can travel thousands of
kilometres with little energy loss. The power in a wave is
proportional to the square of the amplitude and to the period of
the motion. Therefore, long period (7÷10 s), large amplitude
(about 2 m) waves have energy fluxes commonly averaging
between 40 and 70 kW per m width of oncoming wave. Nearer
the coastline, the average energy intensity of a wave decreases
due to interaction with the seabed. In the Mediterranean basin,
the annual power level off the European countries coasts varies
between 4 and 11 kW/m, the highest values occurring in the
area of the south-western Aegean Sea. This area is
characterized by a relatively long fetch and high energy
potential. The entire annual deep-water resource along the
European coasts in the Mediterranean is of the order of 30 GW,
the total wave energy resource for Europe resulting thus to 320
GW. Oscillating Water Column (OWC) systems are one of the
most popular technologies for wave energy conversion [4, 5].
They consist of a partially submerged chamber with an
underwater opening on its front and an air turbine. Waves
impinging on the device cause the water column inside the
chamber to oscillate, which gives its name to the system. As a
result of these oscillations, the water column acts like a piston,
forcing the air in the upper part of the chamber to flow
alternatively out of the chamber and into it, driving the turbine in
the process. OWC converters present two main advantages
over other Wave Energy Converters (WECs). Firstly, their
simplicity, they consist exclusively of the two aforementioned
elements, the chamber and the air turbine. Secondly, their low
maintenance cost relative to other WECs, which is a result of
both their simplicity and the absence of mechanical elements in
direct contact with seawater. The chamber and turbine are,
therefore, the two essential elements of an OWC converter.
Two main types of self-rectifying turbines are used: Wells
turbines or impulse turbines [6, 7]. As regards the chamber, a
number of works were carried out with the aim of studying and
optimising the design of the chamber [8, 9, 10, 11 and 12]. It is
worth noting that, in most of the studies carried out so far, these
two elements of an OWC converter, the air turbine and the
chamber, are investigated separately - in spite of the fact that
the coupling between both plays a fundamental role in the
performance of the system . In effect, the turbine should ideally
provide the pneumatic damping (pressure drop through the
turbine) for the chamber to work at, or near, resonant
conditions, and the chamber should provide the amount of
pneumatic power that maximises the turbine output. The design
of the air turbine and turbine type are strictly related to the
wave frequency and amplitude. Several authors proposed
different design procedure experiments and mathematical
modelling in different seas. As known by the authors, in
literature there are no studies of using mini or micro OWCs on
board of vessels. For this purpose, in this paper, a preliminary
study of a micro OWC converter using straight-bladed Darrieus
type air turbine is presented. In particular, a laboratory scale
system was realized and analysed by means of Particle Image
Velocimetry methodology.

Conclusions
In the present paper a transparent Oscillating Water Column
Wave Energy Converter simulator was built and tested. The
system is able to run performance tests with different air
turbines at different wave frequency and amplitude. Moreover,
flow characteristics and velocity field around turbine rotor can
be measured by means of Particle Image Correlation method.
In particular, in this paper a straight-bladed Darrieus type air
turbine was tested. Using the PIV system velocity field around
the turbine rotor was measured. On the basis of the obtained
results the system allows to study velocity field in the air
column and around the rotor, while carrying out air turbine
performance assessments. This tool can be used to obtain
reference experimental data to validate OWCWEC and air
turbine design procedure, as well as to calibrate and verify
1D/3D mathematical model predictions