Using wave power offshore

摘要

Ocean Power Technologies, a company based in New Jersey, Warwick (UK) and Melbourne (Australia), is developing wave power technology which could be used for a number of offshore applications including the provision of power for unmanned offshore platforms, avoiding the need to supply diesel for their generators. The company has observed that the parts of the world most suited for wave power (ie which have the biggest waves) has quite a close correlation with the parts of the world with oil and gas production - such as West Africa, Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. The company's device is a vertical stationary spar with a float that goes up and down on waves. As it goes up and down, it generates electricity. The device includes communications and sophisticated computer processing which can make predictions of wave height allowing the timing of the movement of the float to maximise power generation with this wave height.