Objective
Objectives
The project concerns Phase Two of the design, construction and commissioning of a wave power plant of oscillating water column (OWC) type to be installed on the northern shoreline of the island of Pico, Azores. Phase One, concerns the basic studies, the design and the civil construction of the bottom-standing concrete structure of the plant. Phase Two concerns the development and/or design, construction, erection and commissioning of the mechanical, electrical, control and monitoring equipment. The primary objective of the project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of OWC wave power plants by building one at a commercial scale. The plant will provide a facility for testing the power take-off equipment, namely air turbine, generator, control equipment and valves, and to assess and validate the overall design methodology and control strategies, the design of the various parts of equipment and the methodology for predicting the energy production.
Technical Approach
The power plant will support one Wells turbine-generator set, with a power rating of 500kW. The self-rectifying Wells turbine is of monoplane fixed-pitch rotor type, with a double row of stationary guide vanes, and will be driven by the air flow displaced by the reciprocating motion of the water column inside the chamber. The generator is of the wound rotor, induction type. The use of a Kramer link will enable the generator to operate over a relatively wide range of speeds (between the synchronous speed and about twice its value). This capability will enable the turbine to respond to a wide range of sea states. In addition, by flywheel kinetic energy storage, it will have a short-term smoothing effect on the electric power supplied to the grid. A controlled by-pass relief valve will be mounted on the top of the structure. This shall remove pressure peaks in the chamber and so prevent the air flow rate through the turbine from exceeding the value, depending on rotational speed, above which aerodynamic stalling will produce severe drop in turbine power output.
Expected Achievements and Exploitation
After completion, the plant, will be part of the generating system of the island (expected energy production about 0.9 GWh/year). In addition, it shall be regarded as a pilot plant to be used by the European teams active in R&D in wave energy, in order to satisfy the objectives listed above. In particular, control procedures and strategies for the plant will be developed and validated taking advantage of the variable speed generator and controlled by-pass relief valve. The plant's integration and performance in a small isolated electrical grid will be analysed. The participation of the utilities EDA (Azores Archipelago) and EDP (Portuguese mainland), involving a major financial contribution, shows the relevance given to wave energy by two major utilities.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringelectric energy
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpower engineeringelectric power distribution
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energyhydroelectricitymarine energywave power
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
1049-001 LISBOA
Portugal