Experimental Study on Hydraulic Conversion Efficiency of Oscillating Buoy Wave Energy Converter

摘要

In view of low energy-density of wave energy, low energy conversion efficiency and unsustained stable power supply by the ocean wave energy. This paper gives a laboratory model device which is hydraulic conversion system of wave energy. Oscillating buoy wave energy converter with two-way hydraulic ram is chosen as the wave energy converter to collect and convert the energy to the hydraulic energy to provide sustained stable power. The motor can be driven by the sustained power system eventually. The research shows that the heaving response of oscillating buoy wave energy converter reaches resonance when the period of incident wave is a little bit delay compare with natural heaving period of oscillating buoy because of the damping system, whereas normally it resonates when the periods are the same. The results show that the maximal capturing powers are almost the same at different initial draft 15cm and 25cm with the mass at 115kg and 200kg. But the real measured power coefficient value is relatively smaller than the theoretical one. The maximum difference between Laboratory test value and theoretical one is approximately 37%, which is the reason that the damping system, hydraulic energy loss and measurement deviation.