Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wave tank experiments on the power capture of a multi-axis wave energy converter

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Marine Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a new concept of multi-axis wave energy converter (WEC), which can capture wave energy from multiple directions of motion. It describes the modelling of the multi-axis WEC and presents the results of laboratory experiments on the power capture of the multi-axis WEC in a wave tank subjected to synthesized scaled sea waves. The experiments investigate the influence of parameters such as buoy structure, damping and inertia modification (ballasting) on the hydrodynamic performance. The experimental results indicate that the multi-axis WEC yields very good performance under a variety of wave conditions. It is also demonstrated that, by utilizing more than one direction of motion, the multi-axis WEC proves capable of supplying more power than a single-axis WEC. This work constitutes a preliminary step towards the development of an advanced concept of WEC.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mathiesen BV, Lund H, Karlsson K (2011) 100 % Renewable energy systems, climate mitigation and economic growth. Appl Energy 88(2):488–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Banos R, Agugliaro FM, Montoya FG, Gil C, Alcayde A, Gomez J (2011) Optimization methods applied to renewable and sustainable energy: a review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, pp 1753–1766

  3. Zhang DH, Li W, Lin YG (2009) Wave energy in China: current status and perspectives. Renew Energy 34:2089–2092

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Panwar NL, Kaushik SC, Kothari S (2011) Role of renewable energy sources in environmental protection: a review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 15:1513–1524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhang DH, Li W, Lin YG, Bao JW (2012) An overview of hydraulic systems in wave energy application in China. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 16:4522–4526

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Folley M, Whittaker TJT (2009) Analysis of the nearshore wave energy resource. Renew Energy 34:1709–1715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Izadparast AH, Niedzwecki JM (2011) Estimating the potential of ocean wave power resources. Ocean Eng 38:177–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Leijon M, Bernhoff H, Berg M, Agren O (2003) Economical considerations of renewable electric energy production—especially development of wave energy. Renew Energy 28:1201–1209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Falcao AFO (2010) Wave energy utilization: a review of the technologies. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 14:899–918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Thorpe TW (1999) An overview of wave energy technologies: status, performance and costs. In: wave power: moving towards commercial viability. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers London, UK

  11. Falnes J (2007) A review of wave-energy extraction. Marine Struct 20:185–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Drew B, Plummer AR, Sahinkaya MN (2009) A review of wave energy converter technology. Part A J Power Energy 223:887–902

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bedard R, Jacobson PT, Previsic M, Musial W, Varley R (2010) An overview of ocean renewable energy technologies. Oceanography 23(2):22–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Hahn H (2002) Rigid body dynamics of mechanisms. Springer, ISBN 3-540-42373-7. P.143

  15. Bishop RH (2007) Mechatronic systems, sensors, and actuators: fundamentals and modeling. CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-9258-6

  16. McCabe AP, Aggidis GA, Widden MB (2010) Optimizing the shape of a surge-and-pitch wave energy collector using a genetic algorithm. Renewable Energy 35:2767–2775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Caska AJ, Finnigan TD (2008) Hydrodynamic characteristics of a cylindrical bottom-pivoted wave energy absorber. Ocean Eng 35:6–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Flocard F, Finnigan TD (2010) Laboratory experiments on the power capture of pitching vertical cylinders in waves. Ocean Eng 37:989–997

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Falcao AFO (2007) Modelling and control of oscillating-body wave energy converters with hydraulic power take-off and gas accumulator. Ocean Eng 34(14):2021–2032

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Babarit A, Clement AH, Gilloteaux JC (2005) Optimization and time-domain simulation of the SEAREV wave energy converter. In: Proceedings of OMAE2005: the 24th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE 2005). Halkidiki, Greece

  21. Retzler C (2006) Measurements of the slow drift dynamics of a model Pelamis wave energy converter. Renew Energy 31:257–269

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  22. McCabe AP (2013) Constrained optimization of the shape of a wave energy collector by genetic algorithm. Renew Energy 51:274–284

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  23. Retzler C, Pizer D, Henderson R, Ahlqvist J, Cowieson F, Shaw M (2003) Pelamis WEC—Advances in the numerical and experimental modeling programme, in Fifth European Wave Energy Conference. Cork, Ireland

  24. Cross P, Taylor CJ, Aggidis GA (2009) Feed-forward control of a power take-off simulation for wave energy conversion. In: 31st International Conference on Software Enginnering. Vancouver, Canada

  25. Ricci P, Lopez JS, Minguela MR, Villate P, Salcedo JL, Falcao FO (2010) Control strategies for a wave energy converter connected to a hydraulic power take-off. Renew Power Gener, IET 5(3):234–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Larsson TB, Falnes J (2006) Laboratory experiment on heaving body with hydraulic power take-off and latching control. Ocean Eng 33:847–877

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Cross P, Taylor CJ, Aggidis GA (2011) State dependent feed–forward control for wave energy conversion. In: 9th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC–11). September: University of Southampton, UK

  28. Gomes RPF, Henriques JCC, Gato LMC, Falcão AFO (2012) Hydrodynamic optimization of an axisymmetric floating oscillating water column for wave energy conversion. Renew Energy 44:328–339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Zhang DH, Li W, Ying Y, Zhao HT, Lin YG, Bao JW (2013) Wave energy converter of inverse pendulum with double action power take off. In: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C, Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science p 2416–2427

  30. Zhang DH, Aggidis GA, Wang YF, Andy M, Li W (2013) Experimental results from wave tank trials of a multi-axis wave energy converter. Appl Phys Lett 103(103901):1–4

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the help and the support of Lancaster University Renewable Energy Group. This work is also supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51205346), Zhejiang province commonweal projects (No. 2014C31001), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (No. 2011AA050201), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51120195001), the Program for Zhejiang Leading Team of S&T Innovation (No. 2010R50036), Science Fund for Creative Research Groups of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51221004), Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power Transmission and Control (No. GZKF-201311) and open funding program of Joint Laboratory of Flight Vehicle Ocean-based Measurement and Control (No. FOM2014OF10). This work was performed at Lancaster University Renewable Energy Group Wave Tank Testing Facilities in the UK.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Dahai Zhang, Xinxing Gu & Ying Chen

  2. Lancaster University Renewable Energy Group, Engineering Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YR, UK

    Aggidis George & Yifei Wang

  3. State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power Transmission and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Wei Li

Authors
  1. Dahai Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Aggidis George
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yifei Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xinxing Gu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Wei Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ying Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Dahai Zhang or Aggidis George.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, D., George, A., Wang, Y. et al. Wave tank experiments on the power capture of a multi-axis wave energy converter. J Mar Sci Technol 20, 520–529 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00773-015-0306-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00773-015-0306-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation