• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.585-594
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• 2013

In this study, laboratory experiments and numerical simulations were conducted to test the performance of resonance power buoy system proposed by Kweon et al.(2010). The system is composed of a linear generator and a mooring buoy. The mover of the linear generator mainly has heave motion driven by vertical oscillation of the buoy. In this system, the velocity discrepancy between the mover and the buoy makes electricity. However, ocean wave energy as a natural resource around Korean peninsula is comparatively small and the driving force for producing electricity is not enough for commercialization. Therefore, it is necessary that the buoy motion be amplified by using resonance characteristics. In order to verify the resonance effects on the test power buoy, the experimental investigations were conducted in the large wave flume (length of 110 m, width of 8 m, maximum depth of 6 m) equipped with regular and random plunger wave generator. The resonance draft of test power buoy is designed for the corresponding period of incident wave, 1.96 sec. Regular wave test results show that the heave response amplitude operator(RAO) by a test buoy has the amplification of 5.66 times higher compared to the wave amplitude at the resonance period. Test results of random waves show that the buoy has the largest spectrum area of 20.73 times higher at the point of not the resonance period but the shorter one of 1.85 sec. Therefore this study suggests the resonance power buoy for wave power generation for commercial application in the case of the coastal and oceanic area with smaller wave energy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.147-153
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• 2013

There exist various types of the WEC (Wave Energy Converter), and among them, the point absorber is the most popularly investigated type. However, it is difficult to find examples of systematically measured data analysis for the design of the point absorber type of power buoy in the world. The study investigates the wave load acting on the point absorber type resonance power buoy wave energy extraction system proposed by Kweon et al. (2010). This study analyzes the time series spectra with respect to the three-year wave data (2002.05.01~2005.03.29) measured using the pressure type wave gage at the seaside of north breakwater of Hupo harbor located in the east coast of the Korean peninsula. From the analysis results, it could be deduced that monthly wave period and wave height variations were apparent and that monthly wave powers were unevenly distributed annually. The average wave steepness of the usual wave was 0.01, lower than that of the wind wave range of 0.02-0.04. The mode of the average wave period has the value of 5.31 sec, while mode of the wave height of the applicable period has the value of 0.29 m. The occurrence probability of the peak period is a bi-modal type, with a mode value between 4.47 sec and 6.78 sec. The design wave period can be selected from the above four values of 0.01, 5.31, 4.47, 6.78. About 95% of measured wave heights are below 1 m. Through this study, it was found that a resonance power buoy system is necessary in coastal areas with low wave energy and that the optimal design for overcoming the uneven monthly distribution of wave power is a major task in the development of a WEF (Wave Energy Farm). Finding it impossible to express the average spectrum of the usual wave in terms of the standard spectrum equation, this study proposes a new spectrum equation with three parameters, with which basic data for the prediction of the power production using wave power buoy and the fatigue analysis of the system can be given.