14.5.2 Examples of Oscillating Water Column Wave Power
Generation in Foreign Countries
In 1910, French Pochex Plessick built a pneumatic wave power plant to supply
1 kW of electricity to his own house. In the mid-1980s, Norway built a 500 kW
multi-resonance oscillating water column shore power station on an island near
Bergen, which began operation in 1985 with a total investment of $1.2 million. The
unit adopts a symmetrical wing turbine with a diameter of 2 m. The variable speed
constant frequency mechanism ensures that the output voltage and frequency of the
motor are stable. The gas chamber test of the power station is carried out for one
year, and the normal operation is only 2 years. The average annual output is only
about 5 kW, which is far below the design level.
In 1990, 75 kW oscillating water column wave power station was built in Islay,
Scotland, U.K. It uses the oscillating air volume generated by wave motion to
convert oscillating air into mechanical energy through a self-adjusting barrel air
turbine. This kind of air turbine can operate unidirectional in the oscillating airflow
without the need to adjust the reciprocating oscillating airflow with one-way check
valve system. It consists of an oscillating water volume device and a two-stage
barrel turbine without guide vanes, as shown in Fig. 14.26.
Since 1980s, four fixed on shore foundation and breakwater wave power stations
have been built in Japan, with a single unit capacity of 40 $ 125 kW. Among them,
the “Kaimei” wave energy power ship, which was built in the early 1980s, is a ship
type floating power station with 80 m long and 12 m wide, and consists of 13
oscillating water column air chambers. It was installed 10 single-machine power
125 kW generators, the total installed capacity of 1250 kW, especially suitable for
the island’s self-sufficient power supply. In order to overcome the shortcomings of
the “Kaimei”, Japan developed the wave power generation device of the “Mighty
Airflow
Booster chamber
Electric power
Turbogenerator set
Wave
Rock stratum
Fig. 14.26 Diagrammatic sketch of Islay power station, UK
378
14 Pneumatic Principle and Device of Oscillating Water …
Generation in Foreign Countries
In 1910, French Pochex Plessick built a pneumatic wave power plant to supply
1 kW of electricity to his own house. In the mid-1980s, Norway built a 500 kW
multi-resonance oscillating water column shore power station on an island near
Bergen, which began operation in 1985 with a total investment of $1.2 million. The
unit adopts a symmetrical wing turbine with a diameter of 2 m. The variable speed
constant frequency mechanism ensures that the output voltage and frequency of the
motor are stable. The gas chamber test of the power station is carried out for one
year, and the normal operation is only 2 years. The average annual output is only
about 5 kW, which is far below the design level.
In 1990, 75 kW oscillating water column wave power station was built in Islay,
Scotland, U.K. It uses the oscillating air volume generated by wave motion to
convert oscillating air into mechanical energy through a self-adjusting barrel air
turbine. This kind of air turbine can operate unidirectional in the oscillating airflow
without the need to adjust the reciprocating oscillating airflow with one-way check
valve system. It consists of an oscillating water volume device and a two-stage
barrel turbine without guide vanes, as shown in Fig. 14.26.
Since 1980s, four fixed on shore foundation and breakwater wave power stations
have been built in Japan, with a single unit capacity of 40 $ 125 kW. Among them,
the “Kaimei” wave energy power ship, which was built in the early 1980s, is a ship
type floating power station with 80 m long and 12 m wide, and consists of 13
oscillating water column air chambers. It was installed 10 single-machine power
125 kW generators, the total installed capacity of 1250 kW, especially suitable for
the island’s self-sufficient power supply. In order to overcome the shortcomings of
the “Kaimei”, Japan developed the wave power generation device of the “Mighty
Airflow
Booster chamber
Electric power
Turbogenerator set
Wave
Rock stratum
Fig. 14.26 Diagrammatic sketch of Islay power station, UK
378
14 Pneumatic Principle and Device of Oscillating Water …