Wave Power and Linear Generators

Linear Generators are great for tapping ocean wave power.


http://www.physorg.com/news4142.html

The sea's energy is immense. In fact, experts estimate that just 0.2 percent of it - in
the form of waves, tides, salinity and more - could power the entire world. Although the
technology is 15-20 years behind that of wind energy, ocean power is a promising, clean
energy source that is more predictable, available and energy-dense than wind is.

Image: Ocean-buoy generators, like the one illustrated, promise to convert the movement
of waves into energy. Voltage is induced when waves cause coils located inside the buoy
to move relative to the magnetic field of the anchored shaft. This process generates
electricity. Credit: Nicolle Rager Fuller, National Science Foundation

Led by Annette von Jouanne and Alan Wallace, engineers at Oregon State University (OSU)
are tapping into the ocean's vast potential by developing ways to harness its energy to
produce electricity: buoy systems that can generate power just by floating in the
ocean's undulating swells. One such system, located one to two miles offshore, is called
the permanent magnet linear generator buoy.

An electric coil surrounds a magnetic shaft inside the buoy, and while coil is secured
directly to the buoy (see illustration), the magnetic shaft is anchored to the sea
floor. When waves cause the coil to move up and down relative to the fixed magnetic
shaft, voltage is induced and electricity is generated. Each buoy could potentially
produce 250 kilowatts of power, and the technology can be scaled up or down to suit a
variety of energy needs. A fleet of about 200 such buoys could power the business
district of downtown Portland.




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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Standing-Wave Current vs Traveling-Wave Current
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  • Re: Where Does the Power Go?
    ... Calling the steady state solution "mashed-potatoes" is ridiculous. ... This is true of the waves, their amplitudes, the energy ... question "Where Does the Power Go" You'll end up with a time dependent ...
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  • Re: Where Does the Power Go?
    ... Calling the steady state solution "mashed-potatoes" is ridiculous. ... This is true of the waves, their amplitudes, the energy ... question "Where Does the Power Go" You'll end up with a time dependent ...
    (rec.radio.amateur.antenna)