Wave power - new approach

is_that_so

There is an article in today's Irish Times about wave power. www.wavebob.com is the website, but is is not yet live. The prototype cost €1 million but it ran into some hydraulic problems in the initial test. They hope to try it agian next month.
If successful they hope to be able to generate 220 MW by 2020.
Don't have the Times link owing to the excessive online cost.
Link here as well

damiand

Thats very interesting stuff.

Looking at the development dates and dates of completion it would appear that the project is dead. The trials appear to have been carried out in 2000 with some final development works been completed in 2002. Its a shame it seems like an non intrusive way to produce electicity.

I think the reason it was not developed further is the distance from the coast and the cost in running an undersea/ground cable from the machines to the mainland and then inland to a power line suitable for distribution.

is_that_so

damiand wrote:

Thats very interesting stuff.

Looking at the development dates and dates of completion it would appear that the project is dead. The trials appear to have been carried out in 2000 with some final development works been completed in 2002. Its a shame it seems like an non intrusive way to produce electicity.

I think the reason it was not developed further is the distance from the coast and the cost in running an undersea/ground cable from the machines to the mainland and then inland to a power line suitable for distribution.

Found a new link

damiand

Can you please keep me/ this thread updated is_that_so if you have more information on this wave energy production machine. Seems very interesting and I would like to find out more. Their web site is still under construction.......

mjffey

I got this email from Mr. Dempsey.

Wavebob website will hopefully be up and running in a couple of weeks time.


Dear Mrs. Ribbink (that's me )

I recently launched a new ocean energy strategy, which aims to put Ireland at the forefront of ocean energy development and position us to capitalise on this resource. The strategy was developed by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) and the Marine Institute.

As the first stage in implementing this strategy, we have recently upgraded the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre in UCC as well as opening an ocean energy test site a mile and a half off the coast of Spiddal, Co Galway. This 37-hectare site will be open to test prototype ocean energy devices. The first wave energy device, 'WaveBob' has been deployed on the Spiddal site. SEI and the Marine Institute are also currently supporting a number of other ocean energy research and development initiatives.

The second phase of the strategy will see the development of pre-commercial grid connected devices and provide for a grid connection to the Galway Bay test site.

Ireland has one of the most promising ocean energy resources in the world and the ocean energy strategy aims to position Ireland to take full advantage of this resource in the future.

In addition to the Ocean Energy Strategy, I will also be publishing an Energy Policy Consultation Paper which will set out medium and long term perspectives for national energy policy and which will take account of the considerable and complex challenges for Irish energy policy going forward.

I trust this clarifies the issue for you.

Yours sincerely,
Noel Dempsey T.D.
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources

FillSpectre

this may seem like a strange question but surely taking energy from the waves will have an effect as will taking it from wind? I am no expert but has most of the problems created in the environments been the result of us playing around with the natural order. I guess you can't do no harm but environmental impact must be felt when you take from the environment! Are there any studies into the effects of these sustainable energy forms in the long term? The West coast could start getting bigger as errosion is reduced by less powerful waves the midlands could get higher as wind drops it's loads before getting to the east. Just asking so no need to tell me I am stupid for wondering as is often the case with different views

mjffey

FillSpectre.


There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers:D

Of course there will be an impact on the environment, but that's always the case when we do something. It's just that we have to look for other resources to get our energy from and water, wind and solar are a few of those and you have to find the one that has the least negative impact on nature but still gives you what you want.
Portugal has alreay a wave field and they are at the moment building the biggest solarpanel plant in Europe. Very impressive to see. Unfortunatly there is not enough sun in ireland to start such a plant, but Ireland has the see and wind. Two things that will never run out.

is_that_so

OK I know the thread is a little old, but updates in this area can be very slow. Good piece and update on Wavebob and another company on Morning Ireland today.

EDIT: Wavebob finally have something on their site.

silverharp

FillSpectre wrote: »

this may seem like a strange question but surely taking energy from the waves will have an effect as will taking it from wind?

it will slow the rotation of the earth! at least the french barrage scheme apparently does

liberty 2007

mjffey wrote: »

Unfortunatly there is not enough sun in ireland to start such a plant,

Perhaps, but not necessarily, in the summer months we get longer sunlight and apperently PV panels work more efficently in cooler temperatures.

John_C

silverharp wrote: »

it will slow the rotation of the earth! at least the french barrage scheme apparently does

It won't because waves are created by the wind where as the tide is created by the moon's gravity, which slows the rotation of the earth.

I found that out here

probe

The Ocean Energy Ltd website is at http://www.oceanenergy.ie - with an interesting animation on how their device works at http://www.oceanenergy.ie/operating_principle.html

They claim that there is about 48 TWh of electric energy available if the Irish coastline was fully developed. This is nearly twice Ireland's electricity requirement (from memory). http://www.oceanenergy.ie/market.html

.probe

danyosan

probe wrote: »

The Ocean Energy Ltd website is at http://www.oceanenergy.ie - with an interesting animation on how their device works at http://www.oceanenergy.ie/operating_principle.html

They claim that there is about 48 TWh of electric energy available if the Irish coastline was fully developed. This is nearly twice Ireland's electricity requirement (from memory). http://www.oceanenergy.ie/market.html

.probe

Nowhere near it mate.

Irelands record power demand is 5GW at anyone time.

probe

danyosan wrote: »

Nowhere near it mate.

Irelands record power demand is 5GW at anyone time.

We are talking about the annual demand in TWh in this context. You are confusing the annual electrical energy demand with the hourly generation capacity number.

There are 168 hours in a week - and if the network was consuming 5 GW per hour, the weekly use would be 840 GWh (168*5). Multiply that by 52 and this gives about 43.6 TWh. Obviously the country doesn't consume 5 GW per hour, 24/24h, 7 days a week - so I suspect about 23 to 25 TWh is roughly correct for the annual demand.

GW a measure of the output of the generation plant. The expected output of the generation plant in Ireland on 4 November 2007 will be 6.115 GW, for example.

.probe

Sponge Bob

The wavebob lasted about a week before it broke the first time it was deployed ( in summer ) last year.

Its back out in the sea again, well a bigger version of it is .

Lets see how long it lasts this time.

Another yoke called the OE Bouy then spent the winter out there and survived the storms, last winter in one piece , apparently .

probe

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The wavebob lasted about a week before it broke the first time it was deployed ( in summer ) last year.

Its back out in the sea again, well a bigger version of it is .

Lets see how long it lasts this time.

Another yoke called the OE Bouy then spent the winter out there and survived the storms, last winter in one piece , apparently .

If at first you don’t succeed….. try, try again!

.probe