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Title: The Wonder-Buoy That May Finally Make Wave Energy Feasible
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URL Source: http://www.wired.com/2016/04/corpower-buoy/
Published: Apr 6, 2016
Author: AUTHOR: RACHEL NUWER. RACHEL NUWER
Post Date: 2016-04-06 22:33:42 by A K A Stone
Keywords: None
Views: 2869
Comments: 8
WITH ALL THAT to-and-fro and ebb-and-flow, the motions of the ocean offer an endless supply of renewable energy. Or they would, if engineers could figure out how to capture that power. Most prototypes for wave-energy converters have been massive and costly, or else they’re torn apart during violent storms at sea. But a Swedish company called CorPower Ocean may finally have a solution. Tests show its new buoy can produce three times as much electricity as the best rival tech, with a far more practical design. For starters, it’s relatively small: Whereas other devices can stretch hundreds of feet across and weigh well over a thousand tons, CorPower’s bobbing red machine is a mere 26 feet in diameter. Yet a single buoy stationed offshore can generate about 250 kilowatts of power—enough to cover the electricity needs of 200 homes. Wave-power farms could contain hundreds or even thousands of them. The process relies on three key components: a mooring line that holds the buoy in place and keeps it upright and stable; a device called the WaveSpring that causes the buoy to oscillate in time with incoming waves; and a gear mechanism that converts that bobbing motion into electricity with maximum efficiency. The company’s engineers have tested the wave-energy converters in tanks, and field trials are scheduled for next year. “CorPower could be the real winner in wave energy,” says Antonio Sarmento, an independent researcher in the field. “Their technology represents a breakthrough.” More like a sea change. 
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#1. To: A K A Stone (#0)
not particularly new we were testing such a system twenty years ago, scale is the key to the use of this technology and finding a high risk investor
Then you should be at least twenty years ahead of this design. That should be what, fifth generation or later, by now. How many have you deployed?
#4. To: cranky (#3)
Here is an update As energy prices rise due to global demand-supply pressures, the search for renewables continues. Lapping at Australia’s shores is a huge renewable energy resource – wave power. Kristine Pillai and Sarah Robertson report. As an island nation, Australia has massive potential wave power generation resources and capabilities. But just how much energy does the ocean have to give? Research by the wave energy developer Carnegie Corporation and the Federal Government has revealed just how powerful waves can be. An independent report commissioned by Carnegie Corporation has shown that at least 35 per cent of Australia’s current base load power needs can be economically generated by waves. The report, Wave Power Assessment for the Entire Southern Coastline of Australia, aimed to independently assess the potential near-shore (less than 25 metres water depth) wave energy resource along Australia’s southern coastline. It found that Australia has a potential near-shore wave energy resource of approximately 171,000 megawatts (MW) – approximately four times Australia’s current total installed power generation capacity. According to the report, which was produced by ocean resource specialists RPS MetOcean, a conservative ten per cent of this near-shore wave resource is estimated to be economically extractable. This would provide approximately 35 per cent of Australia’s current power demand from zero emissions wave energy. The results also demonstrated an effective wave resource availability of 97.5 per cent, which will make base load renewable power generation possible. “The World Energy Council estimates that the energy that could be harvested from the word’s oceans is equal to twice the amount of electricity that the world currently consumes. Australia has the longest coastline with exposure to the most reliable wave energy regime in the world due to its proximity to the circumpolar Southern Ocean and the West Wind Drift,” said Carnegie Managing Director Michael Ottaviano. He said that the company will use the RPS study to further inform commercial CETO site selection, which will be followed by more detailed site‐specific modelling to determine the design and construction of any commercial wave energy generation site. Report data was sourced primarily from the globally utilised NOAA WaveWatch III wave modelling system and verified against actual measured wave data taken from sites along the southern Australian coastline. A previous report showed that the theoretical, deep water wave resource for the same area was estimated to be 500,000 MW, reflecting more exposed open conditions in water depths greater than 50 metres. The report was commissioned as part of the feasibility activities at the recently granted Albany license area. The site is located 15 km southwest of Albany and consists of approximately 30,000 hectares of offshore wave resource and an adjacent onshore area. Meanwhile, Minister for Climate Change and Water Penny Wong has released new research to improve understanding of how climate change might affect offshore waves and the potential impact on Australia’s coastal zones. The modelled data suggests that over the past 45 years there has been an increase in the frequency of weather events which led to large waves being generated off Australia’s southern coast. Senator Wong said “There is excellent work underway in Australia to harness the power of waves to generate electricity as we move to a low pollution economy. “But large waves can also be destructive, leading to coastal inundation, erosion and the disturbance of marine habitats. Understanding wave behaviour in a changing climate is critical to how successfully we manage both the opportunities and the risks.” The $800,000 research project was jointly funded by the Department of Climate Change and the CSIRO. More information can be found at http://www.climatechange.gov.au Carnegie Wave Energy Leading wave energy developer, ASX-listed Carnegie Wave Energy Limited ... Bank complete Australia's first commercial bank-funded wave energy deal. Perth Wave Energy Project | Australian Renewable Energy Agency arena.gov.au/project/perth-wave-energy- project/">http://arena.gov.au/project/perth-wave-energy-project/ The Perth Wave Energy Project is the world's first commercial-scale wave energy array that is connected to the grid and has the ability to produce desalinated ... Wave power in Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_power_in_Australia In Western Australia, Carnegie Wave Energy are refining a technology called CETO, ... Bombora Wavepower http://bomborawavepower.com.au/ Bombora's award winning wave energy conversion device. World's first grid-connected wave energy array switched on in Perth ... reneweconomy.com.au/.../w...id-connected-wave-energy- http://array-switched-">reneweconomy.com.au/.../w...ve-energy-array-switched- on-in-perth-77510
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#3. To: paraclete (#1)
not particularly new we were testing such a system twenty years ago
Replies to Comment # 3. Then you should be at least twenty years ahead of this design.
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