CMIP5-Based Wave Energy Projection: Case Studies of the South China Sea and the East China Sea

Chong-Wei Zheng,Qing Wang,Zhan-Sheng Gao,Xia Li,Guo-Xiang Wu,Xuan Chen,Yun-Ge Chen

doi:10.1109/access.2019.2924197

Chong-Wei Zheng, Qing Wang + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2019.2924197

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Abstract

Wave energy development will help ease resource crises. The projection of wave energy has practical value for the long-term planning of energy development (implementation of power generation, trading strategies, and so on). This paper proposed a wave energy projection program. South China Sea (SCS) and the East China Sea (ECS) in 2019 were carried out as case studies using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) dataset to drive the WAVEWATCH-III (WW3) wave model. The multiyear average wave energy of the SCS and ECS was presented. A comparison of the projected values with multiyear averages of the wave energy could positively contribute to the planning of the wave energy development. The results show that the SCS possessed relatively rich energy for both the past and future and that January and October possessed the highest wave power density (WPD). The projected annual average WPD in 2019 was similar to the multiyear average WPD in the north and middle of the ECS, slightly higher than the multiyear average in the south of the ECS, and considerably greater than that in the SCS. The projected WPDs in January, April, and October 2019 were higher than the multiyear averages in the corresponding months. In July, the projected WPD in the SCS was smaller than the multiyear average, while the opposite was observed in the south of the ECS. The projected effective wave height occurrence (EWHO) and the occurrence of WPD >2 kW/m in 2019 were also superior to the multiyear average values.

Highlights

Clean, unpolluted, and renewable wave energy is a good solution to environmental and resource crises [1]–[4]
This study utilized the wave power density (WPD) calculation method given by Iglesias and Carballo [31], Vosough [32] and Wan et al [33], [34] to collect the 3-hourly WPD in the East China Sea (ECS) and South China Sea (SCS) for the period from January 1988 to December 2011 from the 3-hourly wave data
WPD in the SCS was smaller than the multiyear averages, while the opposite trend was observed in the south of the ECS

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Clean, unpolluted, and renewable wave energy is a good solution to environmental and resource crises [1]–[4]. Based on the collected and projected climatic wave data, the future and past wave energy were compared to provide a reference for the long-term planning of wave energy development. Referring to this method, the wave energy under different scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5) for longer time series and over a wider range can be projected in future work. The projected values and multiyear average values of the wave energy parameters (including the WPD, EWHO and WPD levels) were compared to provide a reference for the long-term planning of wave energy development

WPD CALCULATION METHOD

OCCURRENCE OF EXPLOITABLE WAVES

CONCLUSION