United Kingdom. • What is a centre of excellence for research into wave energy in Norway?

Sweden

Spain

Portugal

Norway

• What is a centre of excellence for research into wave energy in Norway?

In the 1980's Norway deployed two of the largest, commercial wave energy schemes: a 350 kWe Tapchan and a 500 kWe OWC. Following a prolonged period of successful operation, both these schemes have ceased to function. However, opportunities for exporting the Tapchan

system have been pursued first by Norwave AS and now Groner AS (see Indonesia). Trondheim University remains a centre of excellence for research into wave energy.

• What has most of the research on wave energy conversion been devoted to?

Since 1978 Portugal has played a significant role in wave energy R&D. This has concentrated mainly on developing OWC's and has been undertaken at the Instituto Superior Tecnico (1ST) of the Tech­nical University of Lisbon and the National Institute of Engineering and Industrial Technology (INETI) of the Portuguese Ministry of Economy. Most of the research on wave energy conversion has been devoted to OWC's. Early work concentrated on theoretical and exper­imental studies of the device hydrodynamics and the behaviour of Wells turbines (including monoplane and biplane rotors, as well as contra-rotating and variable-pitch designs). This has produced design codes for these turbines and plant control strategies.

• What is the scheme of an OWC in Spain?

Since 1990, Union Electrica Fenosa has been conducting research on a novel wave energy scheme. The scheme is an OWC where the power is extracted, not by an air-driven turbine but mechanically, using a float atop the water column. An experimental plant has been tested in a wave flume (подводящий канал), allowing its behaviour to be modelled. More testing is being carried out but plans are being made for installa­tion of a prototype in a breakwater.

• What are the plans of a new company (Eurowave Energy AB) to promote commer­
cial schemes?

Two main devices have been under development in Sweden: the Hosepump and the IPS buoy technology. The latter contains a long, open-ended tube, with a piston' in the tube attached to hydraulic cyl-

124 Section II. Supplementary Reading

inders. The inertia of water in the tube leads to relative motion between the piston and the buoy which can be damped²to produce energy. A new company (Eurowave Energy AB) is to be formed to promote com­mercial schemes based on these technologies. It has plans to install a demonstration system west of Gothenburg in the near future, followed by other demonstration schemes near Athens (Greece) and New Jer­sey (USA). They also have plans for a 1.5 MW commercial scheme off the west coast of Ireland.

1 — поршень; 2 - уменьшен

• What has proved to be a valuable test facility, enabling study of the various compo­nents of the system under in-service conditions?

The UK has had one of the largest government-sponsored R&D programs on wave energy, covering a wide range of devices. However, this was greatly reduced in the early 1980's and most recent work has centered on a shoreline OWC system at Queen's University, Belfast (QUB).

Over the past few years, QUB have been monitoring and improving a 75 kWe shoreline gully OWC on the island of Islay, with support from the UK Department of Trade and Industry. It has proved to be a valu­able test facility, enabling study of the various components of the system under in-service conditions. Valuable lessons have been learned on all aspects of the scheme, leading to significant developments in several areas (e. g. device installation, turbine performance, system control and grid integration).

Дата добавления: 2015-05-08