Wave Power Extraction at Coastal Structure by Means of Moving Body in the Chamber

Abstract

A series of study on wave power extractors which may utilize a part of the coastal structures has been performed by the group of faculties of Muroran Institute of Technology since 1978. Three kinds of extractor belonging to the so-called fixed type had been developed and studied in the laboratory. They are the air chamber with flap, the wave turbine system and the pendulor system. The last two systems have been subsequently studied at the field test plant constructed at Port Muroran. The study shows that the pendulor system brings an excellent power conversion efficiency.

An experimental study on a trapezoidal pendulum wave energy converter in regular waves

“…The system had an oscillating pendulor around the horizontal axis perpendicular to it, and it transmitted the power of the pendulor to that of oil pressure through a reciprocating cylinder connected to the pendulor at the top. The pendulor had a weight of 2.5 tons, a width of 2.0 m and a height of 3.5 m (Kondo et al, 1984). In addition to the former types, a number of concepts of the latter type have been proposed including the Oyster (Whittaker et al, 2007), Waveroller (http://www.aw-energy.com), and bioWAVE (http://www.biopowersystems.com).…”

“…Generally there are two types of pendulum wave energy converters studied presently in the world, which are the gravitational pendulor and buoyant pendulor types, respectively, according to the installation position of the rotating shaft. A series of studies on the former type which utilises a part of the coastal structures have been performed by the group of faculties of Muroran Institute of Technology in Japan since 1978 (Kondo et al, 1984). Experimental studies were conducted at the initial stage and subsequently a field test plant was constructed at Muroran Port.…”