-

Renewable Energy Sources

(18EE653)
Module 5
WAVE ENERGY
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERISON
(OTEC)
• Wave power is the capture of energy of wind waves to do useful work –
for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or pumping water.
A machine that exploits wave power is a wave energy converter
(WEC).
• Waves are generated by wind passing over the sea's surface. As long as
the waves propagate slower than the wind speed just above, energy is
transferred from the wind to the waves. Air pressure differences between
the windward and leeward sides of a wave crest and surface friction from
the wind cause shear stress and wave growth.[1]
• Wave power is distinct from tidal power, which captures the energy of
the current caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon. Other
forces can create currents, including breaking waves, wind, the Coriolis
effect, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences.
 Motion in sea waves

• wind not only produces currents, it creates waves: as wind blows across the
smooth water surface, the friction or drag between the air and the water
tends to stretch the surface, resulting in wrinkles
• surface tension acts on these wrinkles to restore the smooth surface --
these are waves
• as waves form, the surface becomes rougher and it is easier for the wind
to grip the roughened water surface and intensify the waves
• highest part of the wave is called the crest; lowest part that is depressed
beneath the surface is called the trough; wave height is the overall vertical
change in height between the crest and the trough (= 2 x amplitude)
• distance between two successive crests is the length of the wave or
wavelength (L)
• the time required for two successive crests or two successive troughs to pass a
point in space is called the period (T); the number of peaks (or troughs) that
pass a fixed point per second is the frequency
• steepness is the wave height divided by the wave length (H/L) and is NOT the
same thing as the slope between a wave crest and its adjacent trough
• Ocean wave energy, or just simply Wave Energy, is another type of ocean based
renewable energy source that uses the power of the waves to generate electricity. Unlike
tidal energy which uses the ebb and flow of the tides, wave energy uses the vertical
movement of the surface water that produce tidal waves.
• Wave power converts the periodic up-and-down movement of the oceans waves into
electricity by placing equipment on the surface of the oceans that captures the energy
produced by the wave movement and converts this mechanical energy into electrical
power.
• Wave energy is actually a concentrated form of solar power generated by the action of
the wind blowing across the oceans surface. As the suns rays strike the Earth’s
atmosphere, they warm it up. Differences in the temperature of the air masses around
the globe causes the air to move from the hotter regions to the cooler regions, resulting
in winds.
The reciprocal of this time ( 1/T ) gives us the fundamental frequency of the
ocean wave relative to some static point. Smaller periodic waves generated or
superimposed onto this fundamental wave such as reflected waves are called
harmonic waves. Then the frequency and amplitude characteristics of a wind-
generated wave depend on the distance the wind blows over the open water
(called the fetch), the length of time the wind blows, the speed of the wind and
the water depth.
Waves transport energy from where they were created by storms far out in the
ocean to a shoreline. But a typical ocean wave does not resemble a perfect
sinusoid, they are more irregular and complex than a simple sinusoidal wave.
Only the steady up-and-down movement of a heavy swell resembles a
sinusoidal wave much more than the chaotic nature of locally generated wind
waves, as real sea waves contain a mixture of waves with different frequencies,
wave heights and directions
Wave Power Devices
Ocean wave energy has many advantages over ocean wind energy in that it
is more predictable, less variable and offers higher available energy
densities. Depending on the distance between the energy conversion device
and the shoreline, wave energy systems can be classified as being either
Shoreline devices, Nearshore devices or Offshore devices. So what is the
difference between these three types of energy extraction devices.
• Shoreline devices are wave energy devices which are fixed to or embedded
in the shoreline, that is they are both in and out of the water.
• Nearshore devices are characterised by being used to extract the wave
power directly from the breaker zone and the waters immediately beyond
the breaker zone, (i.e. at 20m water depth).
• Offshore devices or deep water devices are the farthest out to sea and
extend beyond the breaker lines utilising the high-energy densities and
higher power wave profiles available in the deep water waves and surges.
One of the advantages of offshore devices is that there is no need for
significant coastal earthworks, as there is with onshore devices.

As most of the energy within a wave is contained near the surface and falls
off sharply with depth. There is a surprising range of designs available that
maximise the energy available for capture. These wave energy devices are
either fixed bottom standing designs used in shallow water and which pierce
the waters surface, or fully floating devices that are used to capture the
kinetic energy content of a waves movement and convert each movement
into electricity using a generator.
There are three fundamental but very different wave energy devices used
in converting the ocean wave power into electric power, and these are:
• Wave Profile Devices These are wave energy devices which turn the
oscillating height of the oceans surface into mechanical energy.
• Oscillating Water Columns These are wave energy devices which
convert the energy of the waves into air pressure.
• Wave Capture Devices These are wave energy devices which convert
the energy of the waves into potential energy.
 Wave Profile Devices

• The pitching and heaving of the waves causes a relative motion between an absorber and reaction
point. The left hand wave energy device above, uses a heavy ballast plate suspended below the
floating buoy. The buoy is prevented from floating away by a mooring line attached to a sea-floor
anchor. This mooring line allows the point absorber to operate offshore in deeper waters.
• As the buoy bobs up-and-down in the waves, a oscillatory mutual force reaction is generated
between the freely moving absorber and the heavy plate causing a hydraulic pump in between to
rotate a generator producing electricity. The middle wave energy device operates in a similar
manner to the previous floating buoy device.
• The difference this time is that the freely heaving buoy reacts against a fixed reaction point such
as a fixed dead-weight on the ocean floor. As this type of point absorber is bottom mounted, it is
operated in shallower near shore locations.
Oscillating Column Wave Energy Devices

The Oscillating Water Column, (OWC) is a popular shoreline wave energy

device normally positioned onto or near to rocks or cliffs which are next to a
deep sea bottom. They consist of a partly submerged hollow chamber fixed
directly at the shoreline which converts wave energy into air pressure.
The structure used to capture the waves energy could be a natural cave with a
blow hole or a man made chamber or duct with a wind turbine generator
located at the top well above the waters surface. Either way, the structure is
built perpendicular to the waves with part of the ocean surface trapped inside
the chamber which itself is open to the sea below the water line. The constant
ebbing and flowing motion of the waves forces the trapped water inside the
chamber to oscillate in the vertical up-down direction.
A Wave Capture Device also known as a Overtopping Wave Power Device,
is a shoreline to near shore wave energy device that captures the movements
of the tides and waves and converts it into potential energy. Wave energy is
converted into potential energy by lifting the water up onto a higher level. The
wave capture device, or more commonly an overtopping device, elevates
ocean waves to a holding reservoir above sea level.
The overtopping wave energy converter works in much the same way as an
impoundment type hydroelectric dam works. Sea water is captured and
impounded at a height above sea level creating a low head situation which is
then drained out through a reaction turbine, usually a Kaplan Turbine
generating electricity as shown.
 Wave Energy Advantages

• Wave energy is an abundant and clean energy resource as the waves

are generated by the wind.
• Pollution free as wave energy generates little or no pollution to the
environment compared to other green energies.
• Reduces dependency on fossil fuels as wave energy consumes no
fossil fuels during operation.
• Wave energy is relatively consistent and predictable as waves can be
accurately forecast several days in advance.
• Wave energy devices are modular and easily sited with additional
wave energy devices added as needed.
• Dissipates the waves energy protecting the shoreline from coastal
erosion.
• Presents no barriers or difficulty to migrating fish and aquatic
animals.
Wave Energy Disadvantages
• Visual impact of wave energy conversion devices on the shoreline and
offshore floating buoys or platforms.
• Wave energy conversion devices are location dependent requiring suitable
sites were the waves are consistently strong.
• Intermittent power generation as the waves come in intervals and does not
generate power during calm periods.
• Offshore wave energy devices can be a threat to navigation that cannot see
or detect them by radar.
• High power distribution costs to send the generated power from offshore
devices to the land using long underwater cables.
• They must be able to withstand forces of nature resulting in high capital,
construction and maintenance costs.
-

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY

CONVERSION

-
 -

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY

CONVERSION(OTEC)

 About 70% of the surface is covered by oceans, which are continuously

heated by sun
 OTEC extracts this solar thermal energy from oceans
 OTEC is a method to produce electricity by using the temperature differences
between warm ocean surface and cool deep ocean water to run a heat
engine coupled to a generator
 More the temperature difference ,more energy is produced
 Ocean water with more than 5 degree temperature gradient is known
as ocean thermal energy
 OTEC sites are normally located between tropic of Cancer and tropic of
Capricorn

-
 -

PRINCIPLE OF
OTEC
 The warm water in the ocean surface is collected and pumped
through the heat exchanger to heat and vapourise a working
fluid ,and it develops pressure in a secondary cycle

 The working fluid vapour expands through a heat engine

coupled to an electrical generator

 Working fluid vapour coming out of the heat engine is condensed

back by a condenser which uses the cold deep sea water

 The vapour is cooled to liquid state and is recycled .

-

 This is known as closed cycle OTEC.

 -

PRINCIPLE OF
OTEC
Normally used working fluids are
 Propane for high temperature ocean surface water
 Low boiling point liquid ammonia for low temperature ocean surface
water
 In open cycle OTEC, warm ocean surface water is pumped into a low
pressure boiler to boil water and produce steam.
 Then, the steam is used to drive steam turbine to produce
electricity
 To condense steam, cold deep sea water is used

-
 -

OTEC
Plants
Two different types:
1. Land Based Power Plant
2. Floating Power Plant

Land Based Power Plant

 Will consist of a building constructed on the shore

 It requires laying of pipes
 One pipe to collect warm ocean water
 Second pipe lay down on the slope deep into the ocean to collect cold
water
 Third pipe is used as outlet to discharge used water again to deep down
ocean-
-

Land based
OTEC

-
 -

Floating Power
Plant
 Same principle as that of land based power plant
 Cost savings on piping,but electricity transmission is difficult

-
 -

BASIC RANKINE
CYCLE
 Basic Rankine cycle consists of the
following
 1.An evaporator
 2.A turbine expander
 3.A condenser
 4.A pump
 5.A working fluid
1. Steam Rankine Cycle
2. Organic Rankine cycle

-
 -

Selection of working
fluids
Steam capability and compatibility
 Heat transfer coefficient
 High Flash point to reduce flammability
 Low specific heat to reduce the load on condenser
 Safety(non-toxic, non corrosive, and non-
flammable)
 Environmental acceptability
 Low cost
 Availability

-
-

Open cycle OTEC

PLANTS

-
 -

Open cycle OTEC

PLANTS
Major Components
1. Evaporator: A flash evaporator is used in which the warm sea
water instantly boils or flash in the chamber that has reduced
pressure than the atmosphere
2. Turbine coupled to a generator
3. Condenser
4. Non condensable gas exhaust
5. Pumps
6. Marine culture ponds

-
 -

Working Principle of open cycle

OTEC

-
-

CLOSED CYCLE
OTEC

-
 -

WORKING PRINCIPLE OF CLOSED

CYCLE OTEC

-
-

HYBRID
OTEC

-
 -

HYBRID
OTEC
 Hybrid cycle combines the features of both open and closed
cycle OTEC s
 Warm sea water is pumped into vacuum chamber where it is flashed to
steam
 The steam produced will vapourise a working fluid
 The vaporized working fluid will rotate the turbine and drive the
generator to produce electricity
 The fluid vapour will be condensed by cold sea water in a
condenser and re circulated in a closed cycle
 The condensed steam or desalinated water is used for marine culture
plants
 Non condensable gases are exhausted

-
 -

Carnot
Cycle
 Carnot cycle is the most efficient thermo dynamical cycle which can
use the warm surface sea water and cold deep sea water

-
 -

Carnot
Cycle
 Carnot efficiency is given by

 W=work done by the system

 QH =heat input
 Tc =temperature of the cold sea water
 TH = temperature of the hot surface sea
water

-
 -

Carnot
cycle
The four stages are:
1. Isothermal expansion: The vapourized fluid(for closed cycle OTEC) or
steam(for open cycle OTEC) is allowed to expand at constant
temperature TH . Here volume increases, Pressure falls down (From P
V Diagram shown)
2. Adiabatic Expansion: Here the volume increases, pressure falls down
and the temperature of the vapourised fluid or steam falls down to Tc
3. Isothermal compression: Here the fluid or steam is
compressed at constant temperature Tc.Pressure increases,
Volume decreases
4. Adiabatic compression: The fluid is compressed again increasing
the temperature to TH and the cycle repeats
-
 -

APPLICATION OF OTEC OTHER THAN

ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION

-
 -

APPLICATIONS OF
OTEC
1 . Electricity Generation
2. Hydrogen Production
3. Ammonia and methanol
production
4. Desalinated water
5. Aquaculture
6. Chilled soil agriculture
7. Air conditioning

-
-

ADVANTAGES of OTEC

 Renewable , clean natural resource

 Available in abundance
 Pollution free
 No green house effects
 Good source of fresh water
 Used for marine culture plants

-
-

DISADVANTAGES OF OTEC

-
-

BENEFITS OF
OTEC