Analysis of Power Modules in the Indian Wave Energy Plant

Oscillating-water-column wave energy converters and air turbines: A review

Abstract: The ocean waves are an important renewable energy resource that, if extensively exploited, may contribute significantly to the electrical energy supply of countries with coasts facing the sea. A wide variety of technologies has been proposed, studied, and in some cases tested at full size in real ocean conditions. Oscillating-water-column (OWC) devices, of fixed structure or floating, are an important class of wave energy devices. A large part of wave energy converter prototypes deployed so far into the sea are of OWC type. In an OWC, there is a fixed or floating hollow structure, open to the sea below the water surface, that traps air above the inner free-surface. Wave action alternately compresses and decompresses the trapped air which is forced to flow through a turbine coupled to a generator. The paper presents a comprehensive review of OWC technologies and air turbines. This is followed by a survey of theoretical, numerical and experimental modelling techniques of OWC converters. Reactive phase control and phase control by latching are important issues that are addressed, together with turbine rotational speed control.

Comprehensive Renewable Energy

Abstract: "Comprehensive Renewable Energy" is the only multi-volume reference work of its type at a time when renewable energy sources are seen increasingly as realistic alternatives to fossil fuels. As the majority of information published for the target audience is currently available via a wide range of journals, seeking relevant information (be that experimental, theoretical, and computational aspects of either a fundamental or applied nature) can be a time-consuming and complicated process. "Comprehensive Renewable Energy" is arranged according to the most important themes in the field (photovoltaic technology; wind energy technology; fuel cells and hydrogen technology; biomass and biofuels production; hydropower applications; solar thermal systems: components and applications; geothermal energy; ocean energy), and as such users can feel confident that they will find all the relevant information in one place, with helpful cross-referencing between and within all the subject areas, to broaden their understanding and deepen their knowledge. It is an invaluable resource for teaching as well as in research. Available online via SciVerse ScienceDirect and in print. Editor-in Chief, Professor Ali Sayigh (Director General of WREN (World Renewable Energy Network) and Congress Chairman of WREC (World Renewable Energy Congress, UK) has assembled an impressive, world-class team of Volume Editors and Contributing Authors. Each chapter has been painstakingly reviewed and checked for consistent high quality. The result is an authoritative overview which ties the literature together and provides the user with a reliable background information and citation resource. The field of renewable energy counts several journals that are directly and indirectly concerned with the field. There is no reference work that encompasses the entire field and unites the different areas of research through deep foundational reviews. "Comprehensive Renewable Energy" fills this vacuum, and can be considered the definitive work for this subject area. It will help users apply context to the diverse journal literature offering and aid them in identifying areas for further research. Research into renewable energy is spread across a number of different disciplines and subject areas. These areas do not always share a unique identifying factor or subject themselves to clear and concise definitions. This work unites the different areas of research and allows users, regardless of their background, to navigate through the most essential concepts with ease, saving them time and vastly improving their understanding. There are more than 1000 references from books, journals and the internet within the eight volumes. It is full of color charts, illustrations and photographs of real projects and research results from around the world. The only reference work available that encompasses the entire field of renewable energy and unites the different areas of research through deep foundational reviews. Allows readers, regardless of their background, to navigate through the most essential concepts with ease, saving them time and vastly improving their understanding.

8.05 – Air Turbines

Abstract: Air turbines are used to equip oscillating water column wave energy converters. In almost every case, self-rectifying turbines have been adopted which do not require non-return valves to rectify the reciprocating air flow induced by the water column oscillations. The most frequently used or proposed self-rectifying air turbines are the Wells turbine and the impulse turbine, both of axial-flow type. The fundamentals of the aerodynamic theory of axial-flow turbines are presented and then applied to the Wells turbine and the impulse turbine, including their variants. Information is given on methods of, and results from, air turbine model testing, as well as on self-rectifying air turbines that equipped or equip prototypes tested in the sea. The final part of the chapter is devoted to the analysis of turbine integration into OWC wave energy converter.

Test results of a 30 kW self-rectifying biradial air turbine-generator prototype

Abstract: A 30 kW fixed-guide-vanes biradial turbine-generator set was designed by Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST) and manufactured by Kymaner, within the framework of the H2020 European project OPERA, for open sea testing at the Mutriku breakwater oscillating water column (OWC) power plant and at the IDOM MARMOK-A-5 OWC spar-buoy, deployed at BiMEP, Basque Country, Spain. The paper reports the design and construction of the prototype, and its dry testing at IST, in a variable-flow test rig, simulating the oscillating flow induced by irregular waves. Results show that the turbine exhibits a peak efficiency of 70% under steady-state conditions and an average efficiency of 56% for the control laws tested.

Maximizing Output Power in Oscillating Water Column Wave Power Plants: An Optimization Based MPPT Algorithm

Abstract: This paper proposes an optimization based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm for selection of appropriate external rotor resistances of wound rotor induction generator (WRIG). The generator coupled with a Wells turbine is used in oscillating water column (OWC) wave power plants. The Wells turbine suffers with stalling behaviour that reduces the average output power significantly. Hence, the objective is to prevent aerodynamic stalling of the Wells turbine and hence maximizing the output power simultaneously. But inappropriate selection of rotor resistance leads to excessive power loss. Therefore, two approaches have been applied: (i) the rotor resistance values are selected manually by trial and error method or non-optimized approach (ii) a performance index has been derived and minimized using particle swarm optimization technique to obtain the optimized values of rotor resistance. Simulation results have been performed for turbine efficiency, output power and power loss in external rotor resistance. Finally, the proposed control approach is illustrated for two particular cases of regular and irregular waves.

Current status of self rectifying air turbines for wave energy conversion

Abstract: This paper reviews the present state of the art on self rectifying air turbines, which could be used for wave energy conversion. The overall performances of the turbines under irregular wave conditions, which typically occur in the sea, have been evaluated numerically and compared from the viewpoints of their starting and running characteristics. The types of turbine included in the paper are: (a) Wells turbine with guide vanes (WTGV); (b) turbine with self-pitch-controlled blades (TSCB); (c) biplane Wells turbine with guide vanes (BWGV); (d) impulse turbine with self-pitch-controlled guide vanes (ISGV); and (e) impulse turbine with fixed guide vanes (IFGV). As a result, under irregular wave conditions, it is found that the running and starting characteristics of impulse type turbines could be superior to those of the Wells turbine. Moreover, the authors have explained the mechanism of the hysteretic behavior of the Wells turbine and the necessity of links for improvement of the performance of the ISGV.

Impulse Turbine With Self-Pitch-Controlled Guide Vanes For Wave Power Conversion (Guide Vanes Connected By Link Motion)

Abstract: Experimental investigations directed towards improving the performance of the impulse turbine with self-pitch-controlled guide vanes for wave power conversion are reported. The turbine presented and tested here has an upstream and a downstream guide vane row connected by link motions. The behavior of guide vanes in the reciprocating flows is shown in connection with the axial flow velocity. The results show that a high-efficiency impulse turbine can be developed by these of guide vanes connected by link motions. Furthermore, it is found that the running and starting characteristics of this turbine in the reciprocating flow can be estimated from the performance of the turbine with fixed nozzle and diffuser vanes in a unidirectional steady flow.