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Page added on July 5, 2012
System for Predicting Wave Energy Could Double Wave Power Generation
EcoGeek has a post on research into optimising wave power generation – System for Predicting Wave Energy Could Double Wave Power Generation.
As part of a new study on wave power, the University of Exeter and Tel Aviv University have come up with a system that predicts the power of waves in order to maximize wave energy devices’ ability to generate energy from the sea. The researchers found that this system could potentially double the amount of wave energy generated by a device.Phys.org reports, “The research focused on point absorbers, commonly-used floating devices with parts that move in response to waves, generating energy which they feed back to the grid. Point absorbers are already known to be much more efficient in the amount of energy they produce if their response closely matches the force of the waves and previous research has looked at trying to increase this efficiency. However, this is the first study that has focused on increasing the device’s efficiency by predicting and controlling internal forces of the device caused by forthcoming waves.”
Wave energy potential is huge. It’s been estimated that it could power the world twice over and the UK, where this study was conducted, could be powered twice over just by utilizing wave energy generators along its coastlines. So far, wave energy technologies haven’t gained traction the way that solar and wind technologies have because the ocean is a very inhospitable place. Wave energy generators have to be able to withstand the force of each wave.
This new system predicts the power of the incoming wave, allowing the device to respond in a way that extracts the most amount of energy. This controlled reaction not only increases the efficiency of the device, but protects it from damage from rough seas. Where most current wave technologies would be shut off during a storm, a prediction system could allow the wave generator to keep operating effectively.
The University of Exeter is now working with Ocean Power Technologies, one of the largest wave energy companies, to further test the results and develop better technologies based on this research.
4 Comments on "System for Predicting Wave Energy Could Double Wave Power Generation"
Arthur on Thu, 5th Jul 2012 10:52 pm
The picture shown here has nothing to do with wave energy but a plan by the Dutch engineer Lievense to build a 30 meters high ring dike near Amsterdam into the former ‘Southern See’/IJselmeer in the middle of the Netherlands. The idea was to use surplus windenergy to pump water into the reservoir and to let it flow back into the IJselmeer and generate electricity in the proces. I visited a lecture by him when I was an engineering student in the seventies. The plan was abandoned as hydrostatic pressure would have caused water to leak upwards throught the pavement in the streets of Amsterdam.lol On top of that, breaking the dikes would have meant that Amsterdam would become victim of a huge tsunami. Conservatives however maintain this would give Amsterdam a highly necessary clean up.
Plan Lievense:
http://tinyurl.com/d5wesr7
Arthur on Thu, 5th Jul 2012 10:58 pm
Meanwhile Bureau Lievense has come up with a new plan: rather than pumping water upwards into a reservoir, now they propose to pump water from the sealevel, emptying the same reservoir. So rather than having a body of water of 20 meters high and many square kilometers in surface area (threatening Amsterdam), now they want to do the reverse with the same beneficial effects and solving the storage problem with highly intermittent energy sources like wind.
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_Lievense
BillT on Fri, 6th Jul 2012 1:03 am
Dreams of the deniers who think technology is the answer to every problem…the ‘hammer and nail’ mania.
Ignored is the high cost on energy and wealth to build such systems, and even more the ignoring of the fact of high maintenance and eventual collapse of the system when there is no oil to rebuild it.
Kenz300 on Fri, 6th Jul 2012 5:32 pm
Safe clean alternative energy sources are the future.