The Dynamics of a Novel Wave Energy Converter

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

Dating to a crisis in the price of coal in the late 19th century, ocean waves have been an oft-examined but unrealized source of electrical energy. It is a source of energy estimated to be able to satisfy a tenth to a quarter of the World?s electrical energy needs. More recent developments in the late 20th century have inspired a new generation of wave energy converters (WECs). When ocean waves interact with these devices they produce a motion between two moving parts of the WEC. This relative motion is then use to generate electricity. One of the features to optimize in the design of a WEC is the amplitude of the relative motion which in turn will maximize the harvested energy. The purpose of the proposed work is to construct, model, analyze, demonstrate, and improve upon a novel excitation system for WECs. This system is based on the intake and release of water during the motion of the WEC. The timing of the intake and release is governed by the motion of the WEC features an open loop control, and has the potential to increase the electrical power generated by the WEC. The model for the WEC can be considered as a parametrically excited system or a hybrid system. Incorporating the effects of the stochastic ocean wave environment and the fluid-structure interaction are non-trivial. To this end, a team of featuring analysts, mechanicians, and experimentalists from the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the United States Naval Academy will conduct the proposed research. The research features construction and testing of a scaled prototype and has several educational aspects. It is hoped that the research on the novel excitation system will result in more efficient and cost-effective methods to harvest ocean wave energy.