University College of Engineering Kakinada

Unit-4
Energy from Oceans, Waves and Tides

By
R S Sudhakar
EEE Department,
UCEK,JNTUK

Renewable Energy Technology

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Ocean Energy

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Introduction
• Broadly the ocean sources of energy are Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and the Tidal energy, wave
energy and fourth form of the energy that emanates from the sun-ocean system stems from the mechanism of surface
water evaporation by solar heating i.e., hydrological cycle. These energy sources (except tidal) are the result of the
absorption by the seas and oceans of solar radiation, which causes, like the wind, ocean currents and moderate
temperature gradients from the water surface downward, especially in tropical waters. The oceans and seas
constitute some 70% of the earth's surface area, so they represent a rather large storage reservoir of the solar input.
• The conversion of solar energy stored as heat in the ocean into electrical energy by making use of the temperature
difference between the warm surface water and the colder deep water. The facilities proposed for achieving this
conversion are commonly referred to as OTEC plants or sometimes as solar sea power plants (SSPP). Since the
ocean waters are heated by the sun, they constitute a virtually in-exhaustible source of energy. However, unlike
direct solar energy, the ocean energy is available continuously rather than only in the daytime.
• The operation of the OTEC plant is based on a well established physical (thermodynamic) principle. If a heat source,
is available at a higher temperature and a heat sink at a lower temperature, it is possible in principle, to utilize the
temperature difference in a machine or prime mover (e.g., a turbine) that can convert part of the heat taken up from
the source into mechanical energy and hence into electrical energy. The residual heat is discharged to the sink at the
lower temperature. In the OTEC system, the warm ocean surface water is the heat source and the deep colder water
provides the sink.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• Tide is a periodic rise and fall of the water level of the sea which are carried by the action of the sun and moon on
the water of the earth. Energy of the tides can be trapped to generate power, but at extremely high capital costs. Tidal
energy can furnish a significant portion of all such energies which are renewable in nature. It has been estimated that
about a billion kW of tidal power is dissipated by friction and eddies alone. This is slightly less than the
economically exploitable power potential of all the rivers of the world. It is only indication of the magnitude of the
tidal power available, all of it is not economically feasible also. The first attempt to utilize energy of the ocean was
in the form of tidal mills in the eleventh century in Great Britain and later in France and Spain.

• The power in the ocean waves has been part of the human experience for thousands of years. However, this history
of attempts to exploit this power for human purposes has been extensive. Patents have been used on a variety of
devices, and many schemes have been described conceptually. Some small scale prototype devices have been tested.
Upto now no major development programme has been carried through in any country. Small devices are available,
however, and are in limited use as power supplies for buoys and navigational aids. From the engineering
development point of view, wave energy development is not nearly as far along as wind and tidal energy.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Ocean Thermal Electric Conversion (OTEC)

Introduction
Then ocean thermal energy concept was proposed as early as 1881 by the French physicist Jacques d' Arsonval.
In this indirect form of solar energy at sea, collection and storage are free. The surface of the water acts as the
collector for solar heat while the upper layer of the sea constitutes infinite heat storage reservoir. Thus heat
contained in the oceans, which is solar in origin could be converted into electricity by utilizing the fact that the
temperature difference between the warm surface water of the tropical oceans and the colder waters in the
depths is about Solar energy absorption by the water takes place according to Lambert's law of absorption,
which states that each layer of equal thickness absorbs the same fraction of light that passes through it.
Mathematically

where,I0and I(x) are the intensities of radiation at the surface (x = 0) and at a distance x below the surface. K is
an extinction coefficient (or absorption coefficient) that has the unit L-1, K has values of 0.05 m-1 for very clear
fresh water, 0.27 for turbid fresh water and 0.50 m-1 for very salty water. Thus the intensity decreases
exponentially with depth and, depending upon K, almost all of the absorption occurs very close to the surface of
deep waters. Because of heat and mass transfer at the surface itself, the maximum temperatures occur just below
the surface.
Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025
 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• Considering deep water in general, the high temperatures are at the surface, whereas deep water remains cool. In the
tropics, the ocean surface temperature often exceeds 25°C, while 1 km below, the temperature is usually not higher
than 10°C. Water density decreases with an increase in temperature (above 4°C where pure water's density is
maximum, decreasing again below this temperature, the reason ice floats). Thus there will be no thermal convection
currents between the warmer, lighter water at the top and deep cooler, heavier water. Thermal conduction heat
transfer between them across the large depths, is too low to after this picture, and thus mixing the retarded, so the
warm water stays at the top and the cool water stays at the bottom. It is said, therefore, that in tropical waters there
are two essentially infinite heat reservoirs, a heat source at the surface at about 27°C and a heat sink, some 1 km
directly below, at about 4°C ; both reservoirs are maintained annually by solar incidence. The concept of ocean
thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is based on the utilization of this temperature difference in a heat engine to
generate power.
• The surface temperatures (and temperature differences) vary both with latitude and season, both being maximum in
tropical, subtropical, and equatorial waters i.e., between the two tropics, making these waters the most suitable for
OTEC systems. Several such plants are built in France after World War II (the largest of which has a capacity of 7.5
MW). With a 22°K temperature difference between surface and depths, such as exists in warmer ocean areas than in
north sea, the Carnot efficiency is around 7%. This is obviously very low, and comparable to that expected from a
flat plate collector. In fact, by the time the overall efficiency has been reduced by using a practical engine (operating
on a Rankine cycle say) together with heat exchangers, the propositions might seem hopeless. One major difference
between these two heat sources is that solar energy arrives with a low power density, and requires a large acreage of
flat plate collector.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• Whereas on ocean thermal gradient source can operate with a small area collector by pumping sufficient water
through the heat collector. Indeed the attraction of the solar sea power plant lies in its present day engineering
feasibility and possible competitive cost with fossil fuel power stations. As stated the idea of ocean thermal energy
conversion with a suitable working fluid was originated by d' Arsonval. but the technical feasibility machinery
ashore. With the limited technology and cheap fuel at that time, there was then little prospects for economic
feasibility. A larger installation with two units totalling 7 megawatts was constructed on the Ivory coast by the
French in 1956, but encountered troubles and was abandoned.
• The process of OTEC, requires that the warm surface water and cold water from depth (about 1000-1500 m), be
brought into proximity so they act as the heat source and the heat sink, respectively for a heat engine. In other words,
solar energy collected and stored as heat by the world's major oceans, can be converted into electricity through a
generation process similar to that of conventional power plants, except that in the case of OTEC, no depletable fuel
is required. Furthermore, although there is some seasonal variation in the ocean thermal resource at a given OTEC
power plant location, there is little diurnal variation. Accordingly OTEC power plants are analogous to solar
hydropower plants in that they smooth out the diurnal intermittance of the solar radiation, in contrast to other electric
power options. Thus OTEC power plants provide a potentially substantial renewable source of base load electricity,
albeit located mainly at sea.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Methods of ocean thermal electric power generation

There are two rather different methods for harnessing ocean thermal differences. One is the open cycle, also known as
the Claude cycle, and other is the closed cycle system, also known as the Anderson cycle. These are covered in the
next two sections.
In the closed cycle system, a liquid working fluid, such as ammonia or propane, is vaporized in an evaporator (or
boiler); the heat required for vaporization is transferred from the warm ocean surface to the liquid by means of a heat
exchanger. The high pressure vapour leaving the evaporator drives an expansion turbine, similar to a steam turbine that
it is designed to operate at a lower inlet pressure. The turbine is connected to an electric generator in the usual manner.
The low pressure exhaust from the turbine is cooled and converted back into liquid in the condenser. The cooling is
achieved by passing cold, deep ocean water, from a depth of 700 to 900 m or more, through a heat exchanger. The
liquid working fluid is then pumped back as high pressure liquid to the evaporator, thus closing the cycle.
In the open cycle turbine system, water is the working fluid. The warm surface water is caused to boil by lowering the
pressure, without supplying any additional heat. The low pressure steam produced then drives a turbine, and the
exhaust steam is condensed by the deep colder water and is discarded. A heat exchanger is not required in the
evaporator, and direct contact between the exhaust steam and a cold water spray makes a heat exchanger as necessary
in the condenser. On the other hand, because of the low energy content of the low pressure steam, very large turbines or
several smaller units operating in parallel would be required to achieve a useful electric power output.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Open cycle OTEC System (Claude cycle)

Open cycle refers to the utilization of sea water as the working fluid, wherein sea water is flash evaporated
under a partial vacuum. The low pressure steam is passed through a turbine, which extracts energy from it, and
then the spent vapour is cooled in a condenser. This cycle drives the name 'open' from the fact that the
condensate need not be returned to the evaporator, as in the case of the 'closed cycle'. Instead, the condensate,
can be utilized as desalinated water.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• shown in the below diagram In the cycle shown warm surface water at say 27°C is admitted into an evaporator in
which the pressure is maintained at a value slightly below the saturation pressure corresponding to that water
temperature. At the new pressure, water which is entering the evaporator gets 'superheated'. As shown in Fig. 9.2 the
warm water which is at 27°C, has a saturation pressure of 0.03619 kg/cm2 (0.0356 bar) (point 1). The evaporator
pressure is 0.03213 (0.0317 bar), which corresponds to 25°C saturation temperature. This temporarily boiling (as
opposed to pool boiling which
• superheated water undergoes volume taked place in conventional boilers due to an immersed heating surface,
causing that water to partially flash to steam to an equilibrium two phase condition at the new pressure and
temperature of 0.03213 kg/km2 and 25°C (point 2). Process 1-2 is a throttling and hence constant, enthalpy process.
The low pressure in the evaporator is maintained by a Entropy, s vacuum pump that also removes the
• At point 2, the evaporator contains a mixture of water and steam of very low quality. The steam is separated from the
water as saturated vapour at 3. The remaining water is saturated at 4 and is discharged as brine back to the ocean.
The steam at 3, has a very low pressure and high specific volume (0.03213 kg/cm2, 43.40 m3/kg), as compared to
conventional fossil power plant, which has about 160 kg/m3.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• In the condenser, the exhaust steam is mixed with cold water from the deep cold water pipe at 6, which results in a
near saturated water at 7. This water is allowed to discharged to the ocean. The cooling water from the deep ocean
which is at about 11°C, on reaching the condenser, its temperature rises to about 15°C, due to heat transfer between
the progressively warmer outside water and cooling water inside the pipe, as it ascends towards the top.

• It can be seen that very large ocean water mass and volume flow rates are used in open OTEC systems and that the
turbine is a very low pressure until that receives steam with specific volumes more than 2000 times that in a modern
fossil power plant. Thus the turbine resembles the few lost exhaust stages of a conventional turbine and is thus
physically large.

• Because of the need in the open cycle to harness the energy in low pressure steam, extremely large turbines
(compared to wind turbines) must be utilized. Further more de-gasifiers (deaerators) must be used to remove the
gases dissolved in the sea water unless one is willing to accept large losses in efficiency. On the other hand, since
there are no heat transfer problems in the evaporator, the problem of bio-fouling control is minimized.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

The Closed or Anderson, OTEC Cycle

A schematic of a closed cycle OTEC power plant is shown in below diagram 9.3. Heat exchanger known as
evaporators and condensers are a key ingredient, since extensive areas of material are needed to transfer significant
amounts of low quality heat of the low temperature differences being exploited. In other words, large volume of water
must be circulated through the OTEC power plant, requiring commensurately large heat exchanger.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada
The actual components employed in an OTEC closed cycle system would appear more like the hardware illustrated in the
second diagram 9.4, another closed cycle schematic. This cycle requires a separate working fluid that receives and rejects heat
to the source and sink via heat exchangers (boiler or evaporator and surface condenser). The working fluid may be ammonia,
propane, or a Freon. The operating (saturation) pressures of such fluids at the boiler and condenser temperatures are much
higher than those of water, being roughly 10 kg/cm2 (= 10 bar) at the boiler, and their specific volumes are much lower, being
comparable to those of steam in conventional power plants.
Such pressures and specific volumes result in turbines that are much smaller and hence less costly than those that use the low
pressure steam of the open cycle. The closed cycle also avoids the problems of the evaporator. It however, requires the use of
very large heat exchangers (boiler and condenser) because, for an efficiency of about 2%, the amounts of heat added and
rejected are about 50 times the output of the plant. In addition, the temperature differences in the boiler and condenser must be
kept as low as possible to allow for the maximum possible temperature difference across the turbine, which also contributes to
the large surfaces of these units.
The closed cycle approach was first proposed by Barjot in 1926, but the most recent design was by Anderson and Anderson in
the 1960s. The closed cycle is sometimes referred to as the Anderson. Cycle. In the cycle propane was chosen as the working
fluid. The temperature difference between warm surface and cool surface was 20°C. The cool surface was at about 600 m
deep. Propane is vaporized in the boiler or evaporator at about 10 kg/cm2 (10 bar) or more and exhausted in the condenser at
about 5 bar.
Instead of usual heavier and more expensive shell and tube heat exchangers, the Anderson OTEC system employs thin plate
type heat exchangers, which minimizes the mass and the amount of material and hence cost. The heat exchangers are placed at
depths where the static pressure of the water in either heat exchanger roughly equals the pressure of the working fluid, this
helps in reducing the thickness of the plates.

Renewable Energy Technology R S Sudhakar Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

TIDAL ENERGY

The word "tides" is a generic term used to define the alternating rise and fall in
sea level with respect to the land, produced by the gravitational attraction of the
moon and the sun.
To a much smaller extent, tides also occur in large lakes, the atmosphere, and
within the solid crust of the earth, acted upon by these same gravitational forces
of the moon and sun.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

What are Lunar Tides

Tides are created because the Earth and the moon are attracted to each other,
just like magnets are attracted to each other.
The moon tries to pull at anything on the Earth to bring it closer. But, the Earth
is able to hold onto everything except the water.
Since the water is always moving, the Earth cannot hold onto it, and the moon
is able to pull at it.
 Each day, there are two high tides and two low tides. The ocean is constantly
moving from high tide to low tide, and then back to high tide. There is about 12
hours and 25 minutes between the two high tides.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Types of Tides

When the sun and moon are aligned, there are exceptionally strong gravitational
forces, causing very high and very low tides which are called spring tides, though
they have nothing to do with the season.
When the sun and moon are not aligned, the gravitational forces cancel each
other out, and the tides are not as dramatically high and low. These are called
neap tides.
SpringTides
 When the moon is full or new, the gravitational pull of the moon and sun are
combined. At these times, the high tides are very high and the low tides are very
low. This is known as a spring high tide.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Neap Tides
 During the moon's quarter phases the sun and moon work at right angles,
causing the bulges to cancel each other. The result is a smaller difference
between high and low tides and is known as a neap tide.
 Neap tides are especially weak tides. They occur when the gravitational forces of
the Moon and the Sun are perpendicular to one another (with respect to the
Earth). Neap tides occur during quarter moons.

 The Proxigean Spring Tide is a rare, unusually high tide. This very high tide occurs
when the moon is both unusually close to the Earth (at its closest perigee, called
the proxigee) and in the New Moon phase (when the Moon is between the Sun
and the Earth). The proxigean spring tide occurs at most once every 1.5 years.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Tidal Turbines
• Tidal turbines utilize the same technology to wind turbines. The only difference is
that the blades of tidal turbines are way stronger and shorter. So, the best way to
compare tidal turbines is underwater windmills.

• Ideally, the water currents turn the turbine. The turbine is connected to a
generator through a shaft. So, when the turbine turns, the shaft also turns. The
turning shaft activates a generator, which generates electricity.

• The initial cost of setting up this tidal stream system is quite on the higher side,
not to mention the difficulty in maintenance. However, it remains a cheaper
alternative and doesn’t cause environmental degradation compare to other tidal
technologies.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

HOW IT WORKS

• The unique design of subsea connection systems for the AR1500 and SeaGen
turbines allows capture of the maximum amount of tidal energy whilst keeping
maintenance and connectivity costs low.
• Unlike a wind turbine, all of the power conditioning equipment (inverters,
converters and frequency controllers) are located onshore in the substation
building, enabling quick and easy access in the event of unscheduled faults.
• Once a foundation has been established on the seabed floor, a turbine can be
installed in a very short amount of time.
• Typically, it takes 45 minutes to install a turbine nacelle and 45 minutes to
retrieve it. No divers are involved in this operation.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

AR2000
• Atlantis and GE have already been working in partnership since September 2018
on the development and performance validation of Atlantis’ AR2000 tidal
generation system, which is expected to be the world’s largest and most powerful
single axis turbine available.
• This next generation turbine will be capable of accommodating rotor diameters
of between 20 – 24 meters, site dependent, with a cut in speed of less than one
meter per second and a maximum output of 2.0 MW at 3.05 m/s for a machine
with a 20 meter rotor diameter.
• The AR2000 will feature an innovative new electro-mechanical pitch system, 360
degrees of yaw, upgraded onboard health monitoring and diagnostics systems
and optimised critical system redundancy.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

AR1500

• The AR1500 is a Lockheed Martin designed, 1.5MW horizontal axis turbine

complete with active pitch and yaw capability.
• The nacelle weighs approximately 150 tonnes in air and has a design life of 25
years.
• The rotor diameter is 18 meters and all key operational systems have triple
redundancy built in to maximise reliability offshore.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

SEAGEN U
• SeaGen U is a 1.5MW horizontal axis turbine complete with an active pitch
system taken from the SeaGen-S series development, and yaw capability from the
AR1500.
• The full turbine weighs approximately 150 tones in air and has a design life of 25
years.
• The rotor diameter is 20 meters and all key operational systems have redundancy
built in to maximize reliability offshore.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

SEAGEN-S/F

• The SeaGen system designed for floating or surface piercing foundations is an up

to 1.0MW horizontal axis turbine complete with an active pitch.
• The full turbine weighs approximately 100 tones in air and has a design life of 25
years.
• Rotor diameter can be provided to suit the deployment and system redundancy
plus accessibility combine to maximize reliability offshore.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Electrical energy generation from tidal energy

• Tidal energy is generated from the power of changing tides caused by the
magnetic pull of the moon. This may be achieved by building a dam across a bay
or an estuary where there is a significant difference between high and low tide.

• The high tides allow immense amounts of water to rush into the bay. The gates
of the dam then shut when the water level is at its maximum height.

• When the tides fall the gates open and the water flows out and spins a turbine
which creates electrical energy.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Working Principle of Tidal Power Plant

• In a tidal energy power plant, we collect the water during high tides in an artificial
basin and release it during the period of low tides. And use the water to spin a
hydraulic turbine connected to a generator while escaping. The three main
components of a tidal energy power plant are:
powerhouse,
dam to form the basin,
sluiceways from the basin to sea and vice versa.
• The function of the dam is to create an obstacle between the sea and the basin.
The sluiceways are used to either fill the basin during high tide or empty the
basin during the low tide.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Single Basin Tidal Power Plant Working

• The arrangement of this system is shown in figure. The ocean tides rise and fall
and water can be stored during the rise period and it can be discharged during
fall.
• A dam is constructed separating the tidal basin from the sea and a difference in
water level is obtained between the basin and sea.
• In a single basin tidal power plant, the powerhouse is located at the mouth of the
basin. The hydraulic turbine in the powerhouse only operates during the
discharge of water from the basin during low tide. The basin is filled again during
the high tide. Intermittent operation is the main disadvantage of this system.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• However, in a double cycle system, power generation is possible during the low
as well as high tide.

• The direction of flow during the low and high tide alternates and production of
power takes place during both the emptying and filling cycle of the basin.

• The generation of power stops only when the sea level and the tidal basin level
are equal. For the generation of power economically using this source of energy
requires some minimum tide height and suitable site. Kislaya power plant of 250
MW capacity in Russia and Rance power plant in France are the only examples of
this type of power plant.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• Double Basin Tidal Power Plant Working

• In a double basin tidal power plant, two basins at different levels are made, and a
dam is provided in between them. Inlet and outlet sluice gates are made in the
dam. The water level in the upper basin is maintained above the level of water in
the lower basin.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• Power Output of Tidal System

We can express the power of a tidal turbine as:

P = ρQgH watts
Where, P = power of turbine in watts,
Q = quantity of water flow in m3/s
g = acceleration due to gravity = 9.81 m/s2
H = water head in meters,
ρ = density of sea water = 1025 kg/m3

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Wave power

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Introduction

Wave power is distinct from tidal power, which captures the energy of the
current caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon.
 Waves and tides are also distinct from ocean currents which are caused by other
forces including breaking waves, wind, the Coriolis effect, cabbeling, and
differences in temperature and salinity.
Wave-power generation is not a widely employed commercial technology
compared to other established renewable energy sources such as wind
power, hydropower and solar power.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

However, there have been attempts to use this source of energy since at least
1890 mainly due to its high power density.

As a comparison, the power density of the photovoltaic panels is 1 kW/m2 at

peak solar insolation, and the power density of the wind is 1 kW/m2 at 12 m/s.
Whereas, the average annual power density of the waves at e.g. San Francisco
coast is 25 kW/m2.

In 2000 the world's first commercial Wave Power Device, the Islay LIMPET was
installed on the coast of Islay in Scotland and connected to the National Grid.

In 2008, the first experimental multi-generator wave farm was opened in Portugal
at the Aguçadoura Wave Park.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• Wave power is renewable, pollution free and environment friendly. Its net
potential is better than wind, solar, small hydro or biomass power.
• Wave energy technologies rely on the up-and-down motion of waves to generate
electricity.
• There are three basic methods for converting wave energy to electricity.
• Float or buoy systems that use the rise and fall of ocean swells to drive hydraulic
pumps.
• The object can be mounted to a floating raft or to a device fixed on the ocean
bed.
• A series of anchored buoys rise and fall with the wave.
• The movement is used to run an electrical generator to produce electricity which
is then transmitted ashore by underwater power cables.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

The advantages of wave energy are as follows:

• Because waves originate from storms far out to sea and can travel long distances
without significant energy loss.
• Power produced from them is much steadier and more predictable day to day
and season to season.
• Wave energy contains about 1000 times the kinetic energy of wind.
• Unlike wind and solar energy, energy from ocean waves continues to be produced
round the clock.
• Wave power production is much smoother and more consistent than wind or
solar resulting in higher overall capacity factors.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• Wave energy varies as the square of wave height whereas wind power varies with
the cube of air speed.
• Water being 850 times as dense as air, this result in much higher power
production from waves averaged over time.
• Because wave energy needs only 1/200 the land area of wind and requires no
access roads, infrastructure costs are less.
• Wave energy can be considered as a concentrated form of solar energy.
• Winds are generated by the differential heating of the earth. As they pass over
open bodies of water they transfer some of their energy to form waves.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Wave Energy collecting devices:

SHORELINE DEVICES
a)Oscillating Water Column (OWC) Devices
b)Tapered Channel Devices (TAPCHAN)
c)The Pendulor Device
OFFSHORE DEVICES
a)Float-Based Devices
b)Moving body Devices

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Shoreline Devices

• These devices are fixed to or embedded in the shoreline itself, which has the
advantage of easier maintenance and/or installation.
• In addition these would not require deep-water moorings or long lengths of
underwater electrical cable.
• However, they would experience a much less powerful wave regime.
• This could be partially compensated by natural energy concentration.
• The deployment of such schemes could be limited by requirements for shoreline
geology, tidal range, preservation of coastal scenery, etc.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Oscillating Water Column (OWC) Devices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcStpg3i5V8

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Tapered Channel Devices (TAPCHAN)

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

The Pendulor Device

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Offshore Devices
• This class of device exploits the more powerful wave regimes available in deep
water (> 40 m depth) before energy dissipation mechanisms have had a
significant effect.
• In order to extract energy from the waves, the devices need to be at or near the
surface (i.e. floating) and so they require flexible moorings and electrical
transmission cables.
• There are many different types of offshore device, some of which are:
• Float-Based Devices
• The simplest concepts extract energy from the vertical motion of a float as it rises
and falls with each wave.
• If the motion of the float is reacted against an anchor or other structure that
resists motion, then energy can be extracted
Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025
 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Danish Wave Power (DWP) device

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Hose pumps

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

The Pelamis

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Linear generator

• An alternator is a type of alternating current (AC) electrical generator. The devices

are often physically equivalent. The principal difference is in how they are used
and which direction the energy flows.
• When a magnet moves in relation to an electromagnetic coil, this changes
the magnetic flux passing through the coil, and thus induces the flow of
an electric current, which can be used to do work.
• A linear alternator is most commonly used to convert back-and-forth motion
directly into electrical energy. This short-cut eliminates the need for
a crank or linkage that would otherwise be required to convert a reciprocating
motion to a rotary motion in order to drive a rotary generator.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• The simplest type of linear alternator is the mechanically powered flashlight

(shake type). This is a torch or flashlight which contains a coil and a permanent
magnet.
• When the appliance is shaken back and forth, the magnet oscillates through the
coil and induces an electric current. This current is used to charge a capacitor,
thus storing energy for later use. The appliance can then produce light, usually
from a light-emitting diode, until the capacitor is discharged. It can then be re-
charged by further shaking.
• Other devices which use linear alternators to generate electricity include
the free-piston linear generator, an internal combustion engine, and the free-
piston Stirling engine, an external combustion engine.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• Which consists of an armature, stator, and case. The armature consists of a

permanent magnet, core, and shaft, while the stator consists of electromagnetic
coils.
• A neodymium–ferrite (Nd-Fe) magnet is used for the permanent magnet.
• Non-magnetic stainless steel is used for the shaft, and steel 1010 is used for the
core.
• Tension and compression springs were used to apply the resonance phenomenon
to the armature.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

• The generator’s length is limited shape to 130 mm, and the diameter is limited to
80 mm. The length and diameter of the generator were designed to be 60 and
50 mm, respectively.

• A maximum armature displacement of ±0.67 mm and a base excitation frequency

of 60 Hz were applied as the input conditions based on the analysis of the
vibration characteristics.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 University College of Engineering Kakinada

Advantages and disadvantages

• linear mode power supplies include simplicity, reliability, low noise levels and low
cost.
• linear regulators is the high heat loss that occurs when regulating a high power
load. The high output current must pass through the power transistor because of
the linear design.
• This thermal stress demands that linear power supplies use a heat sink to
dissipate the energy loss.

Renewable Energy Technology Tuesday, February 25, 2025