The World’s First Full Scale Indoor Wave Simulator at Department of Energy Technology · 20. June 2012

The 16 meter long wave energy machine Wave Star transforms wave energy into electricity by means of a power take-off (PTO) cylinder, which functions as a wave powered pump.

The Concept of Wave Star

One cylinder emulates the waves and the power is transferred through a transducer to the PTO cylinder, where electricity is made. Wave Star has a stroke length of 3 meters and due to the construction of the Wave Star machine, it can simulate the power of waves up to 7 meters by moving the piston of the cylinder only 3 meters.

The PTO cylinder works as a pump powered by waves through an arm and a float. From the PTO cylinder, oil is pumped into the system and the energy is transformed into electricity. The effect can be optimised by controlling power and speed of the cylinder in proportion to the waves.

Optimisation of the Power Take-off System

Until recently the development in wave energy has focussed on design of the floats. The transformation of energy in waves to electricity through the power take-off system in itself has been somewhat overlooked.

However, the new Wave Star machine is changing this with the focal point on optimisation of the PTO system. This will make way for an improvement of the efficiency in wave energy machines.

Associate Professor Henrik C. Pedersen from Department of Energy Technology is the manager of the Wave Star project, which is carried out in collaboration with Wave Star Energy.

Based on the initial simulations, he expects that Wave Star PTO will increase the current efficiency from below 50 per cent to more than 70 per cent.

For further information:
Wave Star Energy
Associate Professor Henrik C. Pedersen, Department of Energy Technology

Articles from Ingeniøren.dk (in Danish):

• Ny simulator skal sparke bølgekraften op i gear
• Sådan skal lang cylinder simulere bølger

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