Objective
Objectives
The project concerns the marketability enhancement of wave power technology, especially shoreline and near-shore plants of the oscillating water column type. This is done in two complementary ways. The first one is to reduce the unit cost of the electrical energy produced, by improving the performance of the plant s equipment (namely the turbine) at no extra cost. The second one consists in improving the plant s integration into the grid, especially in small isolated grids where wave energy could find its first commercial application.
Demonstration at full scale is an essential component of the project. This is done on an existing 400 kW wave energy pilot plant located in the island of Pico, Azores, as well as on the local grid.
Technical approach
The response of the Wells turbine (by far the most widely used air turbine in oscillating water columns) to the varying power level of the waves is to be improved. The project addresses this in different manners.
Firstly by using variable-pitch rotor blades and developing adequate procedures for the blade angle control. A sub-optimal method for the control of the variable-pitch-rotor-blade Wells turbine is to be developed and implemented in the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) of the 400 kW turbo-generator set (variable-pitch Wells turbine) of the Pico pilot plant. Full-scale tests in real sea conditions will be performed to fully exploit the capabilities of the variable-pitch turbine and deal with the control problems it poses.
A different approach consists in using advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics tools to design turbine rotor blades capable of higher tip speed and better aerodynamic performance. A second-generation 400 kW Wells turbine rotor is to be designed, manufactured and tested at the Pico pilot plant.
Expected achievements and exploitation
In any case, the use of variable rotational speed may provide an additional improvement in the response of the turbine. A rotational speed control optimization algorithm is to be devised for the Wells turbine based on a theoretical model of the energy chain conversion of the plant (from waves to wire) subject to operational constraints imposed by the plant equipment and the grid. The control optimization algorithm is to be implemented in the PLC of the Pico pilot plant, to assess and demonstrate its capabilities by monitoring the performance of the plant.
In generating electrical energy from a random source such as sea waves, it is imperative that the power generated is acceptable to the supply authority. The project addresses the grid integration of wave power plants. Special attention is devoted to small isolated grids. It is planned that, from the work undertaken on this study, an approach to the various problems will be adopted which will prove acceptable to other installations throughout the world.
The achievement of the objectives listed above should result in the following industrial benefits to manufacturers and users of wave power plants: (i) An increase in the annual electrical energy production and the number of hours the plant operates per year, at little or no extra costs. (ii) A reduction in the size and cost of the mechanical and electrical equipment. (iii) A better understanding of the interaction between plant and grid, and an improvement in the quality of the electrical power supplied to the grid; this is especially important in small isolated grids.
It is expected that, by the end of this project, an improvement in the competitiveness of shoreline and near-shore wave energy plants will be achieved.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy hydroelectricity marine energy wave power
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics fluid dynamics computational fluid dynamics
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
1049-001 LISBOA
Portugal
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.