Guidelines in Wave Energy Conversion System Design

Abstract

This paper presents an investigational study on wave energy converters (WECs). The types of WEC available from the market are studied first. The design considerations for implementing a WEC in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) are then evaluated. There are several different types of devices that can be used to model the system design. Each device type has different attributes that may be helpful or hurtful for the area and wave activity in the GOM. From the evaluation there is a recommendation of the optimal device design conditions, and three device types are recommended for further pursuit as design candidates. Six different WEC projects that are currently being developed and most are ready for commercial testing are examined. The examination evaluates the usefulness of the WECs for the GOM, and provides some factors of both physical and economic scaling. The result of this study reveals that while none of the devices can be installed as is in the GOM because of wave power or geometry requirements, there are some that have the potential to be modified and scaled down to fit the GOM climate.