Influence of Sea State and Tidal Height on Wave Power Absorption

The wave energy converter developed at Uppsala University (Uppsala, Sweden) consists of a linear generator placed on the seabed and driven by the motion of a buoy on the water surface. The buoy is connected to the moving part of the linear generator, the translator, which is made of ferrite magnets. The translator moves vertically inducing voltage in the windings of a fixed component, the so-called stator. The energy conversion of the linear generator is affected by the sea state and by variations of mean sea level. The sea state influences the speed and the stroke length of the translator, while the variation of tidal level shifts the average position of the translator with respect to the center of the stator. The aim of this study is to evaluate the energy absorption of the wave energy converter at different locations around the world. This goal is achieved by developing a hydromechanic model which analyses the optimum generator damping factor for different wave climates and the power absorbed by the generator, given a fixed geometry of the buoy and a fixed stroke length of the translator. Economic considerations regarding the optimization of the damping factor are included within the paper. The results suggest a nominal damping factor and show the power absorption losses at various locations, each of them characterized by a different wave climate and tidal range. The power losses reach up to 67% and in many locations a tidal compensation system, included in the design of the wave energy converter, is strongly motivated.