Technology
How The C-Wave System Works
The operating principle of the C-Wave system will have been experienced by anybody who has tried to climb or jump from one boat into another on a wavy sea.
As the boats sit next to each other, the gap between them is continually opening and closing requiring a carefully timed jump to get from one to the other. The C-Wave principle uses this a continual movement to drive a generator and produce electricty.
The opening and closing of the gap between the boats is a result of the fact that when a wave passes a boat it doesn't go up and down on the wave as we might think, but in fact it goes round in a circle - up and down and side to side.
In fact its not just the boat thats going around its the water as well. As the wave passes from right to left the water doesn't move from right to left at the same speed as the wave. It goes round in a circle and passes the energy of the wave to the next chunk of water along which goes round in a circle and so on. This is why waves can transmit large amount of energy long distances very quickly.
This is illustrated below:
When two objects are separated in the water by a distance of approximately half a wavelength, they will be separated 180 degrees in their respective circles. While one is moving forward, the other would be moving back. This is why they move towards each other and away when the waves pass.
In a wave energy system the practical implementation of this principle is to use two neutrally buoyant walls approximately half a wave length apart, so that while one is moving forward the other is moving back.
The device works at a broad band width around this half wave length spacing. However, to improve still further annulaised energy yield, a third wall at an unequal spacing can be added and the device can extract energy from different wave lengths and from a mixed sea, which results from the combination of different wavelengths.
Engineered C-Wave Systems
Artists impression of a C-Wave system
C-Wave Advantages
The efficiency of wave energy to electrical energy conversion.
-
The C-Wave device is very effective at extracting energy from the waves, and has a particularly high energy capture in the longer waves where the large majority of ocean wave energy exists. This give an economic advantage over competing technologies.
-
-
Maintenance at Sea
-
The power modules for the device sit on a stable frame allowing access for maintenace at sea, or complete change out of the power module,using only small service vessels, reducing costs and improving availability.
- Complete lifetime maintenace at sea means that wave farm locations need not be close to large ports or other facilities required for onshore maintenance. This greatly increases the number of sites that can be used for development.
-
-
Ability to survives large storm waves.
-
The C-wave device is a floating device with low mooring loads so rides large storm waves much as a moored ship would.
-
The load on the device is determined by the energy it takes out the waves, not the energy in the waves, so it can limit the load imposed by large waves
- The power modules do not have a mechanical 'end stop' through which high and damaging loads can be created in large waves.
-