Double the ocean wave power

Potential

The untapped potential of ocean wave energy is vast. Estimates show that the power of coastal waves each year is equivalent to annual global electricity production.

There are, however, challenges that hold the wave energy harvesting technologies stuck at the experimental stage.

Technological solution

RMIT University research team has created a wave energy converter that is twice as efficient at harvesting power as any similar technologies developed to date.

Today, the most popular tech is a buoy-type converter known as a point absorber. It is ideal for offshore locations. It harvests energy from the up and down movement of waves and is generally cost-effective to manufacture and install.

But to be synchronized with incoming wave movement, it involves an array of sensors, actuators, and control processors. That adds complexity to the system, causes underperformance, as well as reliability and maintenance issues.

The RMIT-created prototype needs no specialized synching tech, as the device naturally floats up and down with the wave swell.

Two turbine wheels stacked on top of each other rotate in opposite directions and connect to a generator through shafts and a belt-pulley-driven transmission system.

The generator is placed inside a buoy above the waterline to keep it out of corrosive seawater and extend the device's lifespan.

Future

The team has tested the prototype at the lab. They are keen to collaborate with industry partners to test a full-scale model and work towards commercial viability.

Tapping into our wave energy resource could not only help us cut carbon emissions and create new green energy jobs. It also has great potential for addressing other environmental problems.

For example, as the frequency of drought increases, wave energy could power carbon-neutral desalination plants and supply fresh water for the agriculture industry. That could be a clever adaptation to the challenge of a changing climate.

Tech for Good

💡 Article on Science Daily