VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL

UNIVERSITY, BELAGAVI

A Seminar
Report On

“WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER”

Submitted by

MURALIDHARAN M

USN: 1AY18ME419

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Acharya Institute of Technology,

Acharya Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Road, Bangalore-560

107 2019-2020
 ACHARYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Acharya Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Road, Bangalore-560107

Department of Mechanical Engineering

CERTIFICATE

Certified that the seminar report entitled “WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER” carried out by Mr.
MURALIDHARAN M, USN:1AY18ME419, a bonafide student of Acharya Institute of Technology in
partial fulfilment for the award of Bachelor of Engineering / Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical
Engineering of the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi during the year 2020-2021. It is
certified that all corrections/suggestions indicated for Internal Assessment have been incorporated in the
Report deposited in the departmental library. The seminar report has been approved as it satisfies the
academic requirements in respect of seminar report prescribed for the said Degree.

Name & Signature of the Coordinator Name & Signature of the HOD
Dr. H. Pakkirappa Dr. Attel Manjunath

I
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am grateful to the sanctum of “Acharya Institute of Technology”, the temple of learning, for
providing an excellent platform to pursue our project work in good spirit. I would like to sincerely thank our
President Mr. B.M. Reddy for encouraging us.

I would like to express our gratitude to our honourable chairman Mr. B. Premnath Reddy, Acharya
Institutes for all his initiatives and for providing us a congenial atmosphere for study. I would like to thank
our beloved Principal Dr. Prakash M R, in particular for the excellent facilities provided in the college.

My deep and profound gratitude to Dr. Attel Manjunath, our beloved Head, Department of
Mechanical Engineering. I am thankful to him for the constant moral support and encouragement extended
during the study of this seminar topic.

My heartfelt thanks to, , Dr. Prakash S Dabeer & , Dr. H. Pakkirappa. Professor, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, for their invaluable guidance and inspirational encouragement and constructive
suggestions for the betterment of the work.

My heartfelt thanks to, , Asst Prof. Shrimukhi G Shastry. Professor, Department of Mechanical
Engineering, for her invaluable guidance and inspirational encouragement and constructive suggestions for
the betterment of the work.

I thank all the teaching and nonteaching staff of our Department of Mechanical Engineering for their
constant support. I am thankful to my beloved parents who have motivated and installed confidence in me.

Finally, I am thankful to all those that have helped me directly and indirectly during this work.

MURALIDHARAN M

1AY18ME419

II
 ABSTRACT
The Wave Energy Converter is a new, highly efficient technology that harnesses the immense, renewable
energy contained in ocean waves. Its unique ability to extract and convert energy from both the rising and
falling of waves, represents a technological breakthrough. A wave energy conversion apparatus comprises at
least two devices , each comprising a surface float , at least one of the surface floats being rigidly attached to
a submerged body . The movement between the at least two devices preferably effects an energy generation
which is harnessed by the linkages. The apparatus may also include mooring systems that maintain the
complete apparatus in a position that is consistent with statutory requirements and not significantly inhibit its
efficient operation.
Today more than 80 per cent of the world’s electric power production comes from fossil-fuelled plants. As the
demand for electricity is forecasted to increase, there is an urgent need to find new methods to extract electric
energy from renewable sources. Renewable electric energy supply is today one of the highest priorities in
many parts of the world.

III
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

CERTIFICATE I

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT II

ABSTRACT III

LIST OF FIGURES V

1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Ocean Wave Characteristics 2

2 LITERATURE SURVEY 3

3 WAVE ENERGY CONVERSION PRINCIPLES 4

3.1. Oscillating Water Columns 4-5
3.2. Overtopping Devices 6
3.3. Wave absorbing devices 6

4 WAVE ABSORBING DEVICES TYPES 7

4.1. Point absorbers 7
4.2. Terminators 8
4.3. Wave attenuators 9

5 POWER TAKE-OFF SYSTEMS (PTO) 10-11

6 WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER WITH OFFSHORE WIND 12

7 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 13-14

8 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 15

8.1. Advantages 15
8.2 Disadvantages 15

9 CONCLUSION 16

REFERENCES 17

IV
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NO. FIGURE DESCRIPTION PAGE NO.

1 Wave energy conversion using the principle of the 4

oscillating water column

2 Wells turbine 4

3 Wave energy buoy based on the oscillating water column principle 5

4 Spar buoy wave energy converter 5

5 Wave Dragon overtopping wave energy converter 5

6 Different energy conversion principles based on absorption of wave 6

energy.

7 The FO3 point absorber (top) and the Wave Star attenuator (bottom) 7

8a Bottom-hinged wave energy converter Oyster 8

8b Bottom-hinged wave energy converter Wave Roller 8

8c Top-hinged wave energy converter Salter Duck 8

9 DEXA wave energy converter and working principle 9

10 Schematic of a linear electrical generator based on a permanent 10

magnet generator

11 Principle of tribo-electric nanogenerators 11

V
Wave Energy Converter

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
Vast and reliable, wave power has long been considered as one of the most promising renewable
energy sources. In a special IPCC 2011 report several estimates are presented for the world total potential of
ocean wave energy resources. These estimates were obtained using methods as illustrated in Appendix A. The
theoretical maximum has been estimated at about 30,000 TWh/yr (3.1013 kWh/yr), which is about 20% of the
2019 world energy consumption. However, given technological and economic constraints, the exploitable
resource is probably almost a factor 10 less.

Wave Energy Converters (WECs) convert wave power into electricity. Although attempts to utilize this
resource date back to at least 1890, wave power is currently not widely employed. The operational wave
power installed worldwide in 2020 totaled approximately 16 MW, which is about 5 orders of magnitude less
than the 2-3 TW required to exploit the global wave energy potential. An important reason is the production
costs per kWh, which were in 2020 about a factor 10 higher compared to offshore wind farms.

A plethora of innovational methods for wave power conversion have been invented in the last three decades,
resulting in thousands of patents over recent years. At present, a number of different wave energy concepts are
being investigated by companies and academic research groups around the world. Although many working
designs have been developed and tested through modelling and wave tank-tests, only a few concepts have
progressed to sea testing. Strong cost reductions, which are only possible with a sharp increase in global
application, should enable wave plants to compete favorably with conventional power plants in the future.

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1.1. Ocean Wave Characteristics

Ocean waves are generally a combination of several different wave types. Different wind conditions generate
waves with different wavelengths, frequencies and height, and sometimes different wave profiles.

Changes in weather patterns also affect the wave climate. Since waves of different wave lengths travel at
different speeds, waves of different sizes combine and recombine in a constantly changing interference
pattern.

Waves typically propagate from the centre of a storm. These waves combine with pre-existing waves, creating
a confused sea with large and small waves of varying wavelengths moving in all directions. Some waves will
move in the same direction as the storm, and these will likely grow bigger. Others will head off in the opposite
direction, and these will likely lose energy over time and fade away. The faster waves (i.e. longer wavelength
and shorter wave period) will overtake any smaller waves, and these will be the first waves to break on distant
shores. As the waves continue to disperse from the storm, they settle into groups of different wave sizes and
velocities continuously moving away from the source. This is known as a wave train.

Crest = Highest point of the wave

Trough = Lowest point of the wave

Wavelength = Distance from one crest/trough to the next (m)

Wave Height = Height from trough to crest (m)

Wave steepness = ratio of wave height to wavelength

Amplitude = distance from the centre of wave to the bottom of the trough (m)

Wave Period = time for one full wavelength to pass a given point (s)

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CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE SURVEY
[1]Liliana Rusu and Eugen Rusu There is an increasing necessity in reducing CO2 emissions and
implementing clean energy technologies, and over the years the marine environment has shown a huge
potential in terms of renewable energy. From this perspective, extracting marine renewable energy represents
one of the most important technological challenges of the 21st century.

[2]PietroScandura, GiovanniMalara and FeliceArena A mathematical model for U-Oscillating Water

Column (U-OWC) wave energy converters is developed and tested. The model is based on the linear
irrotational wave theory but is able to treat different nonlinearities related to the physical processes involved
in the U-OWC dynamics.

[3]L. Pietra, M. Tello, J. Bhattacharjee and C. Guedes Soares A variety of Power Take Off System
(PTO) arrangements have been proposed: these are not univocally associated to a specific device or
family, but can in general be matched to several. Some PTOs developed by independent parts are
proposed as off-the-shelf components to device developers (Trident linear generator, Artemis hydraulic
systems, Sara Magnetohydrodynamic generator, Electroactive Polymer Artificial Muscle EPAM).

[4] Piyush Mohapatra, K. G. Vijay, Anirban Bhattacharyya and Trilochan Sahoo Oscillating water
column (OWC) wave energy converters are one of the most widely researched devices for ocean wave energy
harvesting. This study investigates the hydrodynamic performance of a shore-fixed OWC device for different
bottom slopes using two numerical approaches, namely, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and boundary
integral equation method (BIEM).

[5]Junqing Ren, Peng Jin, Yingyi Liu and JunZang Wave attenuation and focusing of a pontoon
breakwater are simultaneously studied. Breakwater performance criteria in three-dimension are established. A
parabolic arc breakwater with superior attenuation and focusing is proposed.

[6]R.Guanche, V.Gómez C.Vidal and I.Eguinoa A submerged wave energy point absorber, TWED (Torres
Wave Energy Device), has been studied under regular and irregular wave conditions. A partial non-linear time
domain model of the TWED has been implemented in Simulink.

[7]Wei Peng, Xiaoyun Huang, Yaning Fan, Jisheng Zhang, and Xingyue Ren A submerged wave energy
converting device, based on the proton-type floating breakwater, has been studied under regular waves in the
present study. In order to assess the performance of the developed Wave Energy Convertor (WEC), a
numerical simulator has been built based on the Navier-Stokes solve
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CHAPTER 3

WAVE ENERGY CONVERSION PRINCIPLES

In this section the most popular current methods for wave energy conversion are briefly presented. An
indication of the efficiency of these methods is presented in Appendix B.

3.1. Oscillating Water Columns

Fig. 1. Wave energy conversion using the principle of the oscillating water column. From IPCC 2011.

The principle of the oscillating water column is illustrated in Fig. 1, in this example for use in conjunction
with a fixed structure (e.g., breakwater). The functioning of the oscillating water columns (OWCs) is
somewhat similar to that of a wind turbine, being based on the principle of wave induced air pressurization.
The device is set upon a closed air chamber, which is placed above the water. The passage of waves changes
the water level within the closed housing and the rising and falling water level increases and decreases the air
pressure within the housing introducing a bidirectional air flow. By placing a turbine on top of this chamber
air will pass in and out of it with the changing air pressure levels.

Fig. 2. Wells turbine. From.

There are two options to separate the bi-directional flow: a Wells turbine to create suction or alternatively,
pressure generating valves. The Wells turbine is constructed such that it rotates always in the same direction
regardless of airflow direction, see Fig. 2. The efficiency is lower (50-60%) than with conventional turbines,
but higher than achievable with conventional turbines in alternating mode.
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Fig. 3. Wave energy buoy based on the oscillating water column principle. Fig. 4. Spar buoy wave energy converter.

OWC devices can be moored offshore but they can also be placed near the shore where waves break. This
results in significant cost savings. The disadvantage is the shallow water depth along the shore, which
dampens the largest waves.

Special buoys have been developed for the application of OWC converters in deep water, according to the
principle of Fig. 3. The length of the shaft determines the resonance frequency, allowing optimum energy
efficiency to be achieved. An example of an offshore OWC is the Spar Buoy, Fig. 4. The original concept was
invented by Yoshio Masuda (1925-2009), who developed navigation buoys powered by wave energy,
equipped with an air turbine. It is circular in plane and therefore invariant to wave direction (Fig. 4). The size
varies according to the target sea conditions at the deployment site but maximum dimensions were estimated
at 30 m diameter, 50 m height and 35 m draft, which could deliver up to 450 kW.

Figure 5: Wave Dragon overtopping wave energy converter.

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3.2. Overtopping Devices

Another type of wave energy converter is the overtopping device, which operates somewhat similar to a
hydroelectric dam. The "Wave Dragon" created by Wave Dragon ApS is the best known example of an
offshore overtopping device (Fig. 5). Its floating arms focus waves onto a slope from which the wave overtops
into a reservoir. The resulting difference in water elevation between the reservoir and the mean sea level then
drives low-head hydro turbines. It was estimated that an optimal size design of 260 m width and 150 m length
can produce up to 4 MW. In wave climates above 33 kW/m, this technology was expected to be economically
competitive with offshore wind power in the near future. After a combined cost saving and power efficiency
increase, the power price could eventually be in line with costs of fossil fuel generation. However, a feasibility
study for a Wave Dragon deployment at the northern Spanish coast published in 2020 reported costs which
were still a factor 10 higher.

Near the shore, overtopping converters can be installed in front of or as part of caisson breakwaters. An
example is the SeaWave Slot-Cone Generator (SSG), which collects seawater by wave overtopping over
several reservoirs placed above each other, resulting in high hydraulic efficiency.

3.3. Wave absorbing devices

A great number of different devices have been developed to harness wave energy directly by using wave-
induced water motion. The wave capture device, or more commonly an overtopping device, elevates ocean
waves to a holding reservoir above sea level. The most popular types are displayed schematically in Fig. 6.

Fig 6. Different energy conversion principles based on absorption of wave energy.

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CHAPTER 4

WAVE ABSORBING DEVICES TYPES

4.1. Point absorbers

Figure 7. The FO3 point absorber (top) and the Wave Star attenuator (bottom)

Point absorber are buoy-type wave energy converters (WECs) that harvest incoming wave-energy from all
directions. They are placed offshore at the ocean surface or just below. A vertically submerged floater absorbs
wave energy which is converted by a piston or linear generator into electricity. One such a point absorber
WEC is the FO3 concept developed by Norwegian entrepreneur Fred Olsen. It consists of several (12 or 21)
heaving floaters attached to a 36 by 36 meter rig (Fig. 7 top). By means of a hydraulic system, the vertical
motion is converted into a rotational movement that drives the hydraulic motor. This motor in turn powers the
generator that can produce up to 2,52 MW.

The multiple point absorber type WEC "Wave Star", developed by Wave Star ApS, has a number of floaters
on movable arms (Fig. 7 bottom). The energy of the motion of the arms is again captured in a common
hydraulic line and converted into electric current. Most noticeably, being able to raise the entire installation
along its pillars, this system has a high endurance for rough storm conditions. So far, this method has not been
deployed at full scale. A 1:2 scaled installation has been built at Hanstholm which turns out 600 kW.
However, production is thought to be scale-able up to 6 MW. A major benefit of these types of exploitation is
the minimal contact with water, placing any delicate machinery and electrics out of reach of any corrosion or
physical forcing of the waves. The Wave Star development was abandoned in 2016.

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4.2. Terminators
Terminators consist of flaps that rotate with the wave orbital motion around an axis parallel to the wave front.
Examples are the Oyster (Fig. 8a) and the WaveRoller(Fig. 8b), both bottom-hinged terminators and the Salter
Duck (Fig. 8c), with a rotation axis near the surface. Although these designs capture wave energy with a high
efficiency (see Appendix B), no large-scale operational deployments have been realized. They are installed in
intermediate depths, not far from the shore, where the wave front direction is most of the time close to shore-
parallel. Oyster and WaveRoller have been tested in nature; for Salter Duck no full-scale prototype was built.
Oyster’s electrical output is generated by an hydro-electric turbine onshore, driven by high pressure water via
subsea pipelines. WaveRoller is equipped with an on board hydraulic system that drives an electricity
generator, which is connected to the electric grid via a subsea cable. Hinged wave surge converters generally
use hydraulic systems for power take-off. Hydraulic systems are well suited to harvest energy from high-
force, slow-oscillatory motions which have to be converted to rotary motion and drive a generator. In order to
rectify the fluctuating wave power, which would result in variable electrical power output unsuited to the
electrical grid, some sort of energy storage system (or other means of compensation, such as an array of
devices) is usually incorporated in the PTO system, such as accumulators, which can function as short term
energy storage, helping the system handle the fluctuations.

Fig. 8a. Bottom-hinged wave energy converter Oyster. Fig. 8b. Bottom-hinged wave energy converter WaveRoller.

Fig. 8c. Top-hinged wave energy converter Salter Duck.

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4.3. Wave attenuators

Figure 9. DEXA wave energy converter and working principle.

The "DEXA", developed and patented by DEXA Wave Energy ApS, is an illustrative example of a wave
attenuator. The device consists of two hinged catamarans that pivot relative to the other (Fig. 9). The resulting
oscillatory flux at the hinge, is harnessed by means of a water-based low pressure power transmission that
restrains angular oscillations. Flux generation is optimized by placing the floaters of each catamaran half a
wavelength apart. A scaled prototype (dimensions 44x16.2m) placed in the Danish part of the North Sea
should generate 160 kW. Full-scale models are thought to be able to generate up to 250 kW. However, the
DEXA development was terminated in 2012

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CHAPTER 5

POWER TAKE-OFF SYSTEMS (PTO)

The power take-off (PTO) system of a wave energy converter has a direct impact on the capital cost of a
project by usually accounting for between 20 and 30% of the overall investment. The economic viability,
efficiency and complexity of a wave energy converter depends largely on its PTO system. Maintenance at sea
is a demanding and expensive task; high reliability and durability of all components of the PTO system are
therefore required. This is technically challenging for systems exposed to the harsh marine environment,
especially systems that consist of many moving parts that are exposed to corrosion and fouling. Several
popular PTO systems have been reviewed by Ahamed et al. (2020), from which the summary below is
extracted.

Fig. 10. Schematic of a linear electrical generator based on a permanent magnet generator.

Oscillating water column wave converters (OWC) generally use the previously described Wells turbine as
PTO system. These turbines are vulnerable due to the relatively large number of moving parts. Overtopping
devices are generally equipped with hydro turbines for power take-off. Conventional hydro turbines require
for high efficiency more head and flow than provided by overtopping ocean waves. Wave absorbing devices
use hydraulic motor systems or direct mechanical or electrical drive PTO systems. Hydraulic motor-based
PTO systems are suited for converting the low-speed oscillating motion into energy. However, the hydraulic
motor-based PTO system consists of many mechanical moving parts and due to compression and
decompression of the fluid there is a risk of hydraulic oil leakage. Direct mechanical drive uses linear-to-
rotary conversion systems without pneumatic or hydraulic systems. The efficiency is high, but the lifetime is
relatively short and maintenance costs are substantial. Direct electrical drive transmits the wave energy into
electrical energy directly by coupling the mechanical energy to the moving part of a linear generator (Fig. 10).
Issues are the need for a heavy structure due to the attractive forces between the stator and the translator and
the complicated power transmission system due to the unequal generated voltage created by the irregular wave
motion.
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The 'Triboelectric nanogenerator' (TENG) and its extension, the 'Triboelectric−Electromagnetic Hybrid
Nanogenerator' (TENG-EMG), are a new development that can efficiently harvest energy in any frequency
range, are low-cost lightweight, easy to fabricate and easy to be scaled (size of individual units being below
the micrometer scale). The nanogenerator uses a polymer-metal pair to create contact electrification
(triboelectric effect) between two materials sliding against each other and to induce charge transfer between
their electrodes due to electrostatic induction, either in a layer structure or in a spherical-shell structure, see
Fig. 11. Challenges for application in a prototype lie in the use of TENGs for power transfer to the shore, cost
to scale, lifetime of the TENG materials in the ocean environment and connection methods of the thousands of
TENG units that are needed.

Fig. 11. Principle of tribo-electric nanogenerators. (a) Triboelectric charges are generated on the surface of two laterally sliding dielectric
films, due to frictional effects. Polarization occurring in the sliding plane drives an electron flow between the metal electrodes that
generates an alternating current. (b) Soft contact rolling-mode spherical TENG (SS-TENG). When receiving external vibration from the
ocean waves, the ball will roll back and forth between the electrodes to provide AC power to the external load. The soft ball maximizes the
contact area.

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CHAPTER 6

WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER WITH OFFSHORE WIND

The high cost of stand-alone wave energy conversion schemes is a major obstacle for its large-scale
application. However, costs can be significantly reduced by combining WECs with structures offshore or
along the coast that are being built for other applications. A good example is the integration of WECs with
breakwaters in the coastal zone.

Another possible combination is the integration of wind and wave energy production. This is especially
interesting in areas where the conditions for optimal wind energy production do not systematically coincide
with conditions for optimal wave energy production. It is also a way to make optimal use of marine space.
The main advantage of integrated wind power generation is shared infrastructure costs, especially foundations
and grid connections. However, with the existing WEC techniques, the costs per kWh produced are still
higher with a combined wind-wave application than with wind energy alone. Synergy benefits can also be
sought through improved stability of the structure, for example in the case of an OWC wave energy converter
integrated into an offshore wind turbine monopile. Stability improvement can be a major benefit for designs in
which the interaction between the wind and wave sub-structures is strong, as in the case of a WEC combined
with a floating wind turbine. Wave energy converters can also reduce wave heights inside a wind farm,
increasing in this way the weather windows to access the wind turbines.

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CHAPTER 7

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Several organizations have been established for worldwide collaboration on ocean wave energy development
involving research institutes, wave energy developers, operators and governments.

Ocean Energy Europe (OEE), a not-for-profit organization, is a network of ocean energy professionals
collaborating with 120 organizations, including Europe’s top utilities, industrialists and research institutes. It
aims to create a strong environment for the development of ocean energy, improve access to funding, and
enhance business opportunities for its members. To this end, OEE engages with the European Institutions
(Commission, Parliament, Council, EIB, etc.), and national ministries on policy issues affecting the sector.
Ocean Energy Europe also organizes the annual Ocean Energy Europe Conference and Exhibition – the
annual event which gathers representatives from the industry, Ministers and Commissioners.

The Ocean Energy Systems Technology Collaboration Programme (OES), established by the International
Energy Agency (IEA), is an international organisation that is actively collaborating between its 29 member
countries with the aim of advancing ocean energy research, development and demonstration of technologies to
generate electricity from ocean energy resources (Wave, Tidal Range, Tidal and Ocean Currents, Ocean
Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and Salinity Gradients). The primary education and research initiatives
of OES are aimed at promoting the feasibility, recognition and adoption of ocean energy systems in an
environmentally acceptable manner.

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) Ltd provides developer companies, wave and tidal energy
converter-technology developer with certified open-sea testing services. The objective of EMEC is to decrease
the time, cost, and risk related with marine energy technology development, increasing the use of EMEC’s
modified facilities as well as industry knowledge and other experiences. EMEC has 13 grid connected test
berths where many marine energy converters have been installed. EMEC is an independent organization that
maintains relations with various developer companies, academic organizations and governing bodies and
presently working with companies and researchers to broaden research programmes to solve a variety of
environmental and operational challenges relevant to industry.

The European Network for marine renewable energy (WECANet) is a network of 31 partner countries to
assist networking, training and collaboration in Europe. Four working groups address the following topics:
numerical modelling for WECs, experimental hydrodynamic modelling including PTO systems, technology
development and economical / political aspects.

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OCEANERA-NET organizes funding programmes to support research and innovation between European
countries and regions in the ocean energy sector.

International conferences on ocean energy are organized by

 European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC). Selected peer-reviewed conference
contributions are published in the EWTEC’s International Marine Energy Journal.
 Asian Wave and Tidal Energy conference (AWTEC) addresses updates on recent global activities and
initiatives with a distinctly special interest in the Asian region. The conference cooperates with the Journal
of Marine Science and Engineering for publication of selected conference contributions.
 International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) is a biennial global marine energy event focused on
the industrial development of renewable marine energy. ICOE is a collaboration with the IEA Technology
Collaboration Programme – Ocean Energy Systems (OES).

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CHAPTER 8

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

8.1. Advantages

1. Renewable

2. Environmental friendly

3. Abundant and Widely Available

4. Variety of Ways To Harness

5. Easily predictable

6. Less Dependency on Foreign Oil Companies

7. Huge Amounts of Energy can be Produced

8. No Damage to Land

9. Offshore Harnessing of Wave Power

10. Reliable

8.2. Disadvantages

1. Suitable to Certain Locations

2. Effect on Marine Ecosystem

3. Source of Disturbance for Private and Commercial Vessels

4. Wavelength

5. Weak Performance in Rough Weather

6. Noise and Visual Pollution

7. The Costs of Production

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CHAPTER 9

CONCLUSION
An overview of the most important parameters involved in developing floating point absorber WECs is
presented. The wave energy resource has regional and seasonal variations, with higher energy mostly
available in deeper water. The wave energy resource available at a particular location has to be assessed for all
the seasons. This data can then be represented in an energy spectrum which gives the energy distribution of
the waves at that location. The wave characteristics can be used as a basis to finalize the dimensions or
geometry of the WEC. The wave height, period, and water depth data are mostly obtained from wave gauges.
This can be used to calculate the wavelength using an appropriate wave theory, keeping in mind the
limitations of the wave theories. The wave theories used to calculate the wave characteristics are different at
different water depths. The PTO systems are different for different WECs, mainly categorised as direct drive
system and buffer systems. In direct drive systems, the moving part of the generator is directly coupled to the
moving part of the WEC. In a buffered system, the wave energy is first captured by a primary medium, after
which it gets transferred to the generator. Due to the irregular nature of the waves, the power output will have
a lot of variations and thus is a challenge to condition it to suit the requirements of the main electricity grids.

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Conference presentation.

Department Of Mechanical Engineering

Acharya Institute Of Technology, Bengaluru Page 17
 BRIEF-BIODATA

Name : MURALIDHARAN M

Email Id : muralidharanm18.Beme@Acharya.Ac.In

Contact Number : 8073109747

Permanent Address : No.79, Shanthi Nagar near Ganapati nagar, Acharya Clg road,
Chikkabanavara, Bangalore-560090

Personal Details

Date Of Birth : 23/05/1999

Place Of Birth : Chennai

Father Name : Mohan M

Mother Name : Vijayalakshmi M

Sex : Male

Nationality : Indian

Languages Known : English, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil And Hindi