The shoreline OWC wave power plant at the Azores

Catarina TravassosNelson Marques

Rui Martinho

Project Definition

• EC Non Nuclear Energy Programme JOULE• Partners

– IST– Queen´s University of Belfast– University College Cork– Empresa de Eletricidade dos Açores– EDP – EFACEC – Profabril

Ocean Wave Energy Project

“It has been estimated that if less than 0.1% of the renewable energy available within the oceans could be converted into electricity it would satisfy the present world demand for energy more than five times over”

Marine Foresight Panel

Wave Power Plant

• This technology addresses the sustainable production of electrical energy

• National Interests• Reduction of energy dependence from the exterior,

particularly in the case of islands.• Production of electric energy with little environmental impact.• Acquire the knowledge of the integration of the overall

system.• Acquire more knowledge of civil constructing in the shoreline.• Exportability of this knowledge with economical advantages.

Wave Power Plant

• International Interests• Develop new knowledge in the renewable energies field• Determination of the critical economical factors of building

and operating a small/medium unit.

• Winning Groups• Less environmental impact on the local communities

compared to conventional thermo electrical power generation.

• More energy independence for communities near coastal areas.

• Electrical Utilities may benefit from operating experience in distributed power systems with renewable energy sources.

The Technology ...

•An Oscillating Water Column type - OWC

•A horizontal Wells turbine

•A variable speed generator

•A by-pass relief valve

400 kW of maximum output

power

The Wells turbines

Wells turbines have the unique

property of turning in the same

direction regardless of which

way the air is flowing across the turbine blades.

Innovation ...

• The generator is connected directly to the rotor, eliminating the need for transmission and gearing.

• The generator's variable-speed allows the turbine rotor to slow down or speed up in response to air flow changes.

• A power electronics unit converts the variable-frequency, alternating current produced by the generator into constant-frequency, 50-cycle alternating current compatible with the utility grid.

• Use of different materials namely stainless steel, carbon steel and non-metallic materials in this kind of project.

Wave Energy Devices

Up and Down

Roll

Impact

Float Oscillating Water Column

Single Roller Connected Floats

On Fixed Body

On Flexible Body

Improvements towards efficiency

• Developing and optimizing OWC control strategies

• Developing more advanced geometry (fixed-pitch) turbine rotor blades

• Carrying out studies on the integration of wave power plants on small isolated electrical grids

Waves are a free and sustainable energy

resource

Environmental Friendly

• Wave energy is a renewable resource• The only resources used through its life cycle

are for production, set-up and dismantling of the facility

The environmental impact is negligible

Ready to Operate this Spring