IPS OWEC Buoy
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As the waves move the buoy A
up and down, the acceleration tube B – which is open in both ends – will move
vertically relative to the water column in it. The water column will "trap" the
piston C, forcing it to move – together with the water column – relative to the
acceleration tube. This pumping motion is mechanically or hydraulically transformed to a
rotary motion driving a generator D. A typical IPS OWEC Buoy consists of a round 6-8 meter buoy hull, a 20 meter - underwater - acceleration tube with a piston and an energy conversion machinery including an electric generator. The buoy is typically located in 50-100 meters deep water and anchored via a slack mooring arrangement. One such buoy built for 120 kW mean output may produce up to 1.0 GWh annually. The dimensions of the buoy are dependent on the oceanographic location, water depth, wave climate, seasonal variations and desired power output. A buoy may be built as a complete independent power station, but normally buoys are placed in clusters of about 5-10 units, linked together to feed one central generating unit. The generated electrical power will be transferred with ordinary sea cables to a land station. The IPS OWEC Buoy is a robust unit built to withstand harsh weather conditions. It has a simple ingenious patented design and is well suited to be manufactured locally. |