Development and Performance Analysis of a Novel Wave Energy Converter Based on Roll Movement: A Case Study in the BiMEP

Abstract

With the growing concern for environmental issues, progress has been made recently in the promotion of new technologies in the field of renewable energies. This article studies a new wave energy converter that uses the heel generated by the mechanical energy of the waves to transform it into electrical energy by means of a mobile mass, coupled to an electrical generator, which moves from port to starboard and vice versa. The advantage of this converter is that it is capable of incorporating the energy conversion unit inside the converter, as well as allowing the placement of a set of several devices within the same collector, and of modifying the roll period to adapt it to the wave conditions of the installation area. To do this, on one side, two models of wave energy converters were compared by varying the beam to check whether it is better to have a smaller or larger beam by carrying out roll decay tests and simulations for different waves. Moreover, the maximum power available in the moving mass of the power take-off was calculated theoretically for two situations of different transverse metacentric height to check which is more efficient, reaching 2 MW for some waves.