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17 Beneficial Uses of Ocean Wave Energy

by Ayu Mesdya

The electricity from the energy of this ocean wave energy has a large enough power, in this time we will explore the 17 use of ocean wave energy in several major countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States to capture ocean waves energy and generate the clean electricity.  Here the following 17 use of ocean wave energy.

  1. Terminator devices

Terminator devices are usually large and located near the beach or land. This device is widely found in Australia and in Scotland. It is capable of capturing wave power perpendicular. There is a floating version of this device that has been designed for offshore applications. You may want to read about Types of Rocks on Ocean Floor

As the water enters the terminator, it passes openings beneath the surface into space, air trapped on top. The water wave is caught up and down connecting the turbine to generate power. Power generates 500kW to 2MW. This depends on the climate and dimensions of the device.

2. Attenuators

Agricultural Waves Agucadora, off the coast of Portugal. They use an attenuator to generate electricity as the waves move. This device has a long multisegment floating structure and parallel to the direction of the wave. When the water waves reach a certain level, the segment will be connected to the hydraulic pump to generate power as the waves move. Read more about Risks to the Great Barrier Reef

3. Point absorber

The point absorber is a small device capable of capturing wave energy with considerable capacity. The application of this device has been used in several countries, such as Australia and the United States.

The way this device works is that it takes advantage of rising and falling seawater waves at one point for energy conversion. A rising and falling sea wave drive an energy or hydraulic converter to generate power. The power generated will be transmitted onshore via an underwater power cable.

4. Overtopping Devices

The overtopping device is also known as wave dragon technology. The shape of this device like the wings that exist in the sea (reservoir in the middle of the sea) and filled with waves of sea water enter. Read more about Economic Uses of Ocean

This device can capture the amount of energy through the long reflector wings mounted on both sides of the reservoir. Incoming water waves will cause a buildup of water pressure. Then the water released will return to the sea. The gravity of falling water energy is used to convert hydro turbines to generate power.

5. Bombora wave power

Bombora wave power is one of the marine energy devices located on the west coast of Australia. These devices are usually submerged in the ocean floor and harness the energy to collect, center and modulate ocean wave energy through the use of air circuits. You may want to read about Causes of Ocean Tides Rise and Fall

This device system converts ocean wave energy directly by using a flexible membrane. As the ocean waves pass over it, it will move the air, it is circling the circuit and it drives the turbine that spins the generator to create electricity. As with any other device, the generated electricity is routed through the power lines connected to the distribution network.

6. Nearshore OWSCs

This device utilizes horizontal particle movement from near-shore waves with a water depth zone of 10-20 meters. This depth lies in the shallow coastal areas. Although this tool is placed in the shallow coastal zone, this device can generate power of 10-20%.

This percentage result is lower than the location in the zone with a depth of 50 meters. This device also has the most important feature, namely its ability to drain the water cover to sink it into the basic frame. In a locked place, diver access will be active and safe for maintenance.

7. Wave Roller

Wave roller is one of the devices installed at a depth of 10-15 meters with a distance of 300-200 kilometers of beach. The device is moving and absorbs energy from the ocean waves, the piston pump mounted on the panel will pump the hydraulic fluid inside the closed hydraulic circuit. Read more about Movement of Ocean Water

The structure of hydraulic circuits is closed and airtight, so there is no risk of fear of leaks against the sea. The power generated from this device will be streamed through the cable pinned at sea.

8. Wave Star Machine

The Wavestar is one of the engines built to draw energy from wave power to a height of 0.06 meters. On this device, there is a float that is mounted on the platform arms that stand in the sea. The motion of the buoy is transferred through the hydraulics into the generator spin.

Movement in this generator allows the production of energy will occur continuously with a smooth output. The unique concept in this wave star is one way to convert wave power into rotation speed and generate electricity. The electricity generated from this wave star has been tested since 2005 in Denmark.

9. Ocean Power Delivery

Ocean Power Delivery is a tube that floats on the surface of the ocean and looks like a caterpillar, also called a Pelamis. Each of these tubes has a length of 122 meters and any waves through this device will move vertically. The movement generated will push the air piston in every segment connection that pumps hydraulic fluid. Each tube that is at sea is retained by using a special anchor.

10. Anaconda Bulge Wave System

Anaconda bulge wave system is one of the long wave tube-like energy converter that resembles a snake. The diameter of each Anaconda tube is about 7 meters. This tube has a hollow rubber with a hydraulic turbine at the stern. This device is placed just below sea level at a depth of 50 meters. This technology can also be used in coastal areas that are not too deep. The system on this device is unique with the concept of low maintenance to provide seawater wave energy.

11. Tapered Chanel Wave Power

This tapered channel system is when the ocean waves enter the channel, the water will be accommodated in an elevated reservoir. When a wave appears, gravity forces water to flow through the turbine to generate electricity. This system is one of the easiest ways to harness sea water waves to generate electricity.

However, this system can only be used in certain environments. This system is suitable for wave energy with consistently high and wave. An environment like coastal seas is the right choice by using this system.

12. Cockerell Raft System

This system was first discovered by Sir Christopher Cockerell with a raft shape. These rafts are connected by hinges to move up and down following the ocean waves. Hydraulic pump mounted on the raft serves to change the motion of the rafts to the waves converted into electricity on the generator.

13. Tidal Turbines

Tidal energy is often used to generate electricity. Many European countries have used this energy to generate electricity. Tidal energy has several advantages, one of these energy sources will continue to happen and will not run out for billions of years. Another advantage of this energy will not produce the greenhouse gas effect that causes global warming.

One device that uses this energy is the tidal turbine. This device utilizes moving water generated by tidal currents. Moving water will make the propeller generator spin and it can produce an electric current. The electrical energy generated is sent to the ground through submarine cables.

14. Mighty Whale Technology

This technology is one of the floating devices and uses the principle of Oscillating Water Column (OWC). This technology is able to absorb energy from ocean waves and can supply electrical energy by producing a calm sea area. At the moment the water waves enter and exit the airspace at the mouth of the mighty of the whale.

The water and air will enter and exit into the room and the high airflow speeds, it can rotate the air turbine that drives the generator. In addition to generating electricity, the Mighty Whale can also be used as a weather monitoring station and it can provide medium-sized energy sources for aeration, improving the water quality.

15. Oyster Wave Energy Converter

The oyster concept is a unique WEC design because it is located near the beach and the device uses a bottom hinge flap that actually penetrates the water column. It can capture the wave energy near shore and be converting it to clean electricity. This device works with a wave-powered the pump which pushes high-pressure water to drive an onshore hydroelectric turbine.

16. Azura

This device is one of the wave devices that tested in Hawaii. The device is directly connected to the city’s power grid in Hawaii. The power generated from this device can produce 20 kW. The Azura device is located on the northern coast of Kaneohe Bay, Oahu. This device has been developed by Northwest Energy Innovations (NWEI) and is supported by the U.S. Navy, the United States Department of Energy, and the University of Hawaii.

Azura is an energy converter developed to be targeted in the international market. This Azura device system produces power with relative rotational movement between the hull and the buoy. The device is capable of rotating 360 degrees which makes it possible to extract energy in various wave conditions.

17. Mutriku Wave Energy Plant

The Mutriku wave power plant is located in Spain with an output of 300 kW for 250 households. The development concept is designed based on OWC because the design is simple. How it works, when the sea water into the chamber, the air contained in the room is compressed at high pressure.

This high-pressure air converts turbines that are connected to a generator to generate electricity. The electricity in this technology is only produced by air movement, the sea water never comes into contact with the turbine.

The explanation from the 17 use of ocean wave energy is already done. There is another topic of ocean energy, Beneficial Uses of Ocean Energy that you should read. Hopefully with this 17 use of ocean wave energy can be a benefit for us.

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