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OCEAN WAVE
ENERGY GENERATOR
Francis S. Fernandez
Florida International University
Miami, Florida, USA
Bader Ale
Florida International University
Miami, Florida, USA
Alfonso Parra
Florida International University
Miami, Florida, USA
Sabri Tosunoglu
Florida International University
Miami, Florida, USA
ABSTRACT
Fossil fuels have been a popular source of energy for a
long time. Some of the more prominent drawbacks are its finite
life and toxic byproducts. Newer technologies have risen to
solve this problem. Currently, technologies being researched
include devices to harness solar and wind energy. Existing
wave-generating units are usually around 12 feet high and are
designed with the intent of operating in active wave-rich waters
with average wave heights of 8 to 10 ft. These units can
produce as much as 10 kW of power. Along with a smallerscale design this team explores cost-effective alternatives which
could potentially allow smaller buoys to produce less power in
coasts averaging 2-to-6-foot-high waves. The project also puts
to use basic laws of electromagnetism, such as Faradays Law
of Induction and Amperes Law.
INTRODUCTION
The harnessing of energy is one of the most critical
challenges at the forefront of all of humanitys concerns. It
affects societies in almost all aspects including economic,
political, military, and technological venues. In recent years
renewable energy has become a pressing matter for the latest
generation of engineers and researchers. They are confronted
with the responsibility of designing environmentally safe
products which require less conventional energy or that run on
cleaner renewable fuel. This teams design project is a
commitment to further realize these efforts by researching and
developing current ocean wave energy technology for the
benefit of all humanity. One of the goals is to achieve the
development of small buoy units that are capable of harnessing
energy from ocean waves specific to low-wave-height coastal
areas such as Florida and Georgia.
Among other alternatives there have been advancements
promoting the use of solar, electrical, bio-fuel, and wind energy.
But in order to keep up with the demands of today more
progress is needed. Fossil fuels will not last indefinitely and it
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EXISTING TECHNOLOGY
There are many designs which prove to be very promising
for a research project of this scope. One popular design
alternative initially developed in Oregon State University
(OSU) primarily involves the use of Faradays Law of
Induction. The end design is large, bulky, and efficient which
enables it to fully take advantage of the wave heights readily
available in the western coast of the U.S. Figure 3 shows a
conceptual schematic outlining the main features of a wave
park. OSUs project is comprised of a multidisciplinary
research team that works closely with the Oregon Department
of Energy [2].
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Two prototypes are considered for the final design. Massproducing a product facilitates and in most cases, justifies the
high cost of the development and design of molds. In the case
of this project, purchasing a mold at a high cost for the
production of a single prototype does not justify its price.
However, it must be noted that if this teams product were put
into high volume production the thought process would be
different. Therefore a distinction must be made between the
conceptual prototype, the prototype that would be designed
with the intention of mass-production and high durability in
mind, and the modified prototype, or the low-cost alternative
designed to survive project testing and experimental analysis. A
comparison between both prototypes is shown in Figure 6. As
can be noted there are visual differences that set both models
apart. However, in terms of actual components they remain
very closely related.
(1)
PROPOSED DESIGN
=0
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
0
144
700
600
500
400
4"-Diameter, 2
Inches From
Surface
300
200
100
0
0
PROPOSED DESIGN
Ideally the capture of wave energy is desired in offshore
locations, where it is not only more productive, but can also be
technologically feasible. Even though wave energy can be
considered a form of continuous source since it is constantly
being generated it is also highly variable. This is not to say that
the output cannot be accurately predicted, as with the help of
meteorological advances it has become scientifically and
reliably possible to determine the size and intensity of ocean
waves within monitored coasts [5].
The equation most often employed to determine the
amount of power generated by coastal waves is given by
=
64
(2)
(3)
Wave Height
(m)
Wave
Height (ft)
Power
(kW/m)
Power
(hp/ft)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
0
1.5
3
4.5
6
7.5
9
10.5
12
0
1
4
9
16
25
36
49
64
0.0
0.4
1.8
4.0
7.1
11.2
16.1
21.9
28.6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
80
70
60
50
At 8 s Period
40
At 7 s Period
30
At 9 s Period
20
10
0
0
145
Pressure (psi)
Deflection
Temperature (F)
66
167
246
125
Thermal
Kinematic
Dynamic
Electromagnetic
Buoyancy
Force and Stress
ELECTROMAGNETIC ANALYSIS
Fluid Mechanics
Fatigue
Coastal
THERMAL ANALYSIS
In terms of thermal properties PVC is a poor conductor of
heat and thus, the analysis and results are consistently
monotonous. The results for the magnet and solenoid case
temperature gradient distributions are shown in Figure 11.
(4)
146
0.826
0.571
= 1.447
/
=
(9)
(10)
BUOYANCY ANALYSIS
Ensuring that the system remains buoyant is critical to the
success of the buoy. The main components, the magnet case
and solenoid case, are analyzed and tested for buoyancy. The
equation for the buoyancy force is
=
(5)
0.375
4
5.17 = 0.571
(6)
(7)
= 32.2
26.6
32.2 /
= 0.826
(8)
Figure 14 - 2011 Biscayne Bay Buoy Launch
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The energy output during the bay testing was less than 3
volts for all results recorded. However, had the buoy been
properly positioned and anchored at the correct level the
voltage could have been more in line with the results obtained
from the pool, where the buoy was properly anchored and
positioned. Once the tests are completed the team heads back to
shore. The original intent was to generate 5 W with a larger
magnet. The results of these tests are listed in Table 3. The
average power generation is approximately 0.093 Watts.
Voltage (V)
Current (mA)
1.8
0.575
12
1.36
0.557
10
1.087
12
1.891
11
1.02
10
1.61
10
0.752
10
0.93
CONCLUSION
This research highlights the benefits that current
technologies are able to bring into mainstream along with new
challenges that are presented. One of the main focuses is to
encourage the use of renewable resources that are currently
available and in abundance. This team remains hopeful that
further studies and developments are made in the fields of wave
energy harnessing in the future. FIUs team construction and
testing of the prototype proves that there is plenty of room for
improvement in the energy field. Examples of future work
required include automatic depth adjusters to account for tidal
effects and minimization of environmental hazards to and from
the buoy system.
The overall goal, research the generation of energy through
natural means, such as undulation of ocean waves, has been
accomplished with mixed success. The overall experimentation
of energy production is low. And indeed much more work is
needed to further advance the research in this area. However,
the theory is sound and with future tweaks and improvements it
is possible to generate a significant proportion of energy in this
manner. In order to continue building on this research, it is
recommended that the buoy be able to efficiently operate in
REFERENCES
[1] Bedard, R., Hagerman, G., Previsic, M., Siddiqui, O.,
Thresher, R., & Ram, B, 2005, Final Summary Report,
Project Definition Study, Offshore Wave Power Feasibility
Demonstration Project. EPRI Global.
[2] Brekken, T., & von Jouanne, A., 2008, Overview of Wave
Energy Activities at Oregon State University. Oregon State
University.
[3] Elwood, D., Yim, S., Amon, E., von Jouanne, A., &
Brekken, T. (n.d.), 2008, Experimental force
characterization and numerical modeling of a taut-moored
dual-body wave energy conversion system. Journal of
Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering , 132.
[4] SIE-CAT, 2010, The energy of the future is here. One wave
at a time. Retrieved July 24, 2011, from www.waveenergy-accumulator.com:
http://www.wave-energyaccumulator.com.
[5] U.S. Department of the Interior, 2006, OCS Alternative
Energy and Alternate Use Programmatic EIS Information
Center. Retrieved 2011, from www.ocsenergy.anl.gov:
http://www.ocsenergy.anl.gov/documents/docs/OCS_EIS_
WhitePaper_Wave.pdf.
[6] Adhikary, K., 2010, Environmental Systems.
[7] NOAA. National Digital Forecast Database, 2011, NDFD
Graphics.
[8] Pelamis Wave Energy Converter, 2009, Changing Ideas:
Pelamis-Wave-Energy-Converter/Electricity.
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