S. Kedarnath
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
Prasad Dudhgaonkar
National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai, India
Biren Pattanaik
National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai, India
Purnima Jalihal
National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai, India
V. Jayashankar
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3384/ecp110572230Published in: World Renewable Energy Congress - Sweden; 8-13 May; 2011; Linköping; Sweden
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 57:12, p. 2230-2237
Published: 2011-11-03
ISBN: 978-91-7393-070-3
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
A major attraction of a floating wave power plant as opposed to a fixed Oscillating water column (OWC) plant is in the cost of construction. The price paid is in the lower efficiency of conversion in the hydrodynamic stage. This puts onus on the subsequent power module stage in achieving an efficiency that is necessary for a commercial plant. A new backward bent ducted buoy (BBDB) was designed in which the power module is a twin unidirectional turbine. Basic experimentation on the power module is done on a turbine with 165 mm diameter and characterized with bidirectional flow with widely varying flow rates. The efficiency is shown to be better than 68% over the expected working range. The details of a plant producing 50 kW for Indian conditions is described. The range of powers over which a BBDB structure compares with a fixed OWC is highlighted.
