Ocean Wave Technology Discussion
Neo-Aerodynamic
Ocean wave energy can be harness through several mechanisms. They are:
- Up/down motion This includes all buoyant OWC, and top over devices. This area is the most oblivious therefore most of the "inventions" are falling in this category.
- Back/Forth motion As an examples there are C-Wave Power Ocean Energy Bionics
- Wave surface current: This very strong circular current of the water particle is the least visible to the naked eyes; with a very cautious note we say that Neo-Aerodynamic is alone in this category.
The common technical challenges:
- At either category, the power in the wave is not a constant force but "pulsed". The main forces are applied then following by a same period of time to regain the previous position.
- Except those that are using lie linear there must be some kind of transmission to convert linear motion to circular to drive the generator. This reduces the conversation ratio and contribute to higher the maintenance cost.
- There is a "problem" on how to anchor the device in relate to it fix position regardless when and how strong the tide is.
- There are three medium to transfer from the main device
to the circular forces
- Pneumatic Liquid power
- Pneumatic Air power
- Potential Liquid power
- Mechanical transmission (this kind of transmission will encounter the intermittent problem because the wave is not constant but pulses in/at about 18" interval)
In either case; because the wave is pulsed; it requires an array of multiple device to have the energy output to a near constant level (electricity can not be ON and OFF on a 18 second interval).
Also among them the device that use "Pneumatic Air power" as transmission media is the worst. Just the fact of transfer sea water volume (mass) into air volume the device already reduce its effectiveness to 1/805. (Sea water is 805 times heavier then air).
- The cost of submarine, salt water seal & bearing are very, very expensive; a 2" seal bearing in such condition can easily cost 50,000.00 USD the deeper the device stay submerged the more expensive it is.
The technical challenges for OWC devices
- OWC using "wind turbine" to drive the generator. Wind devices by itself does not have a very effective ration of conversion, Let's say it's 50%.
- By the fact that OWC use "air" as media to transfer power it already reduce it ratio to 1/800 of the power of the wave.
- When we put together the two above; OWC can not more then get 1/1600 energy contained in the wave
The technical challenges for Top-Over devices
- These devices only utilize the top haft of the wave height.
- The water head (where it use to harness energy) is not determine of how high is the crest but where it start collect the water.
The technical challenges for Buoyant devices
- Most of them are using air as the media to transmit the energy. These are among the worst since it only has 1/805 the power of the sea water (by volume speed and weight).
- Buoyant device has nullify the weight Vs. Archimedes forces. This forces is counter productive each other.
Some notes about Neo Aerodynamic
to harness the Wave
energy
- Neo-Aerodynamic directly converts the wave motion to circular motion to drive the generator
- Neo-Aerodynamic does not run as a "pulse"; it draw the energy from the Ocean Surface Current therefore its power output are very much in table condition.
- Because of its very high efficiency Neo-Aerodynamic it a "miniature" compare to other technology; even though is produce the same output.
- But most important: It is "cheap" to make, "cheap" to deploy with only the fraction of the cost and virtually maintenance free (no moving part, and its generator can be set above the water line).