Integrated System Design for Remote Communication, Data Acquisition and Control of the LIMPET Wave Energy Device

摘要

Renewable energy sources and their exploitation are currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity, driven by the global attempt to reduce carbon emissions from traditional fossil fuel power stations. Coupled with this increased awareness is the continuing need to provide independent and sustainable energy sources for remote communities. An important aspect of all remote energy schemes is the requirement for comprehensive plant instrumentation, providing performance and operational data for: (1) Real-time monitoring of plant status and plant control. (2) Experimental purposes; the data is valuable for research into the improvement of such devices. (3) Public dissemination, for increased awareness of renewable energy schemes. Queen's University of Belfast (QUB) developed the first shoreline Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave energy device in the UK [1], with a 75 kW prototype constructed on the island of Islay, Scotland in 1991. The device was operated as a research tool for eight years and successfully decommissioned in 1999. The successor to this prototype, LIMPET (Land Installed Marine Powered Energy Transformer), has been constructed on Islay [2] and was commissioned in December 2000. The LIMPET device comprises a rectangular, inclined OWC that ducts the generated airflow through two contra-rotating Well's turbines [3]. Each turbine is coupled to a 250kW induction generator, giving the device a 500kW installed power capacity. The remote and hostile operating environment of the LIMPET device is a common feature of renewable energy schemes for island locations, presenting the instrumentation engineer with unique problems. Namely, (1) Detailing and access to instruments. (2) Signal noise suppression from power cables. (3) Data archiving. (4) Communication and access for remote operators.