The interest of scientists in renewable energy sources is related to the possible finiteness of fossil fuels and global warming, more about which can be found in our material. In addition to comparative environmental safety, installations that generate electricity from the energy of the sun, water or wind, are better suited for hard-to-reach and resource-poor areas, such as islands. As an alternative, Wave Swell Energy has introduced a system that can receive electricity from sea waves.
The company’s installation is constructed by the type of an oscillating water column. Her work involves two cycles. At the first stage, increasing the water level leads to an increase in the pressure inside the underwater chamber, which is partially stabilized by means of special valves. When the water falls, the valves close, and in the chamber, due to the lowering of the water level, a reduced pressure occurs. The outside air, which flows from outside, drives a unidirectional turbine, which is combined with an electric generator.
In comparison with bi-directional, unidirectional turbines, as a rule, increase the energy efficiency of such systems and have a simplified design. The key difference of the new installation is the spatial organization of the dynamic elements: all the mechanical and electronic parts of the generator are above the water, while the concrete is under the water. Thus, the metal components of the system are less susceptible to corrosion, and in addition, their maintenance does not involve underwater work.
The principle of the system / © Wave Swell Energy
According to Wave Swell Energy, at a peak power of 470 kilowatts, one installation will have an installed capacity utilization factor (CAMM) that is significantly larger than wind turbines and solar panels. The height of the system will be 18 (of which ten will be located under water), the width – 20×20 meters. To date, the company has completed tests of a miniature generator model, according to which the latter is ready for commercialization. The first full-scale prototype will be installed near King Island in Australia.
The cost of electricity generated by a “wave” generator is estimated at seven cents per kilowatt hour. When scaling technology, the indicator can potentially be reduced to four cents. For comparison, electricity production in Hawaii, where diesel generators are used as the main source, is about 40 US cents per kilowatt-hour. Previously, a company from Tunisia showed a new type of blades for wind turbines: 1.6-meter details mimic the movements of the hummingbird wings.
Despite the reduced output power compared to the triaxial analogs, the new wind generators are more compact and scalable. So, instead of isolated territories, they can be used by ordinary users for power supply of houses. It is expected that the new form factor will help improve the performance of this type of plant.
In Australia, they learned how to produce electricity from the waves
