Abstract
In India we have twelve major ports and two hundred minor and intermediate ports. All the port deploy several conventional navigation buoys with marker lamps in the navigational channel for guiding the ships entry into the port. Generally, these marker lamps are powered by batteries using the photovoltaic power module. The efficiency of PV modules mostly affected by waves and weather and it demands regular maintenance. In order to replace the PV modules, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has indigenously developed wave powered navigational buoy similar to the existing buoys and the major advantage of this wave powered buoys is, the power will be extracted throughout the day. This power module is such as designed, it will generate power in low wave conditions. Since the waves are very random in nature, the extraction of maximum power is a challenge. The objective of this paper is to discuss about the development of the power takeoff system (PTO), which includes the selection of generator, design of charging circuit and sizing of the battery bank to catch the power at maximum efficiency. A range of combinations of chosen power modules is tested under various input frequencies in the oscillatory airflow test rig at the ocean engineering department of IIT Madras. To validate the design of the power takeoff system, NIOT has successfully filled out open sea trial at off Ennore, Chennai and generated power under various input wave conditions also presented in this paper.
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