Abstract
We present findings from a geotechnical survey for a gravity-based Wave Energy Converter (WEC) to be installed in King Island, Tasmania. The goal of this work was to assess the deployment location for a 200 kW Oscillating Water Column (OWC) and to identify possible challenges for the foundation of the structure to make it Australia’s first operational offshore OWC for a remote offshore island. The proposed location for this OWC is the southeast coast of King Island, Tasmania, approximately in a depth of ~5.5 m LAT. The survey included sub-bottom profiling, sediment cores, surficial sediment strength by penetrometer drops, seabed imagery, as well as long-term deployment (>6 months) of pressure sondes and an acoustic wave current profiler (AWAC). Our findings demonstrate that the WEC can be installed in the proposed location with significant wave height Hs ~1–1.5 m and peak period Tp of 12–14 s, and that the site exhibits sufficient sand coverage and quasisteady bearing capacity. The period between the survey and prospective deployment is only one year, demonstrating the efficiency of the survey methods (in particular, the use of the penetrometer) and OWC design but also the suitability of the candidate site for this device design.
Highlights
IntroductionOscillating Water Column (OWC) are relatively simple in design and principle of operation [4], and prototypes have been developed by a variety of companies, including Mighty Whale (Japan), Oceanlinx Mk3 (Australia) and OE Buoy (Ireland) [5]
Installation, operation and maintenance in offshore environments pose a challenge for developers of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) [7]
The results obtained from the Oscillating Water Column (OWC) centerTlhoecactaionndiadraetsehsoitwe nexinhiFbiigtsuarer6elba,tci.vTelhyefslahtesaeraofrlodoervwiaittohridcespttrhesssvqar=yi(nσg1–bσe3t)wiseepnlo–t1te2daangda–in3smt th(beevloewrticLaAl Tst)r,ewssitfhorathseeatfhloreoer athpaptliseldoploesadgsen(Ftliygutroew6aar)d. sFtihgeurseh6orseh.oTwhse fisresdtima leinntesarshinocwreeadseveorfy consistent homogenous layering and all cores retrieved at the candidate site revealed a penetration depth of >1000 mm with no signs of boulders, reefs or rocky outcrops below the seafloor
Summary
OWCs are relatively simple in design and principle of operation [4], and prototypes have been developed by a variety of companies, including Mighty Whale (Japan), Oceanlinx Mk3 (Australia) and OE Buoy (Ireland) [5]. Despite their technological advancement, Oscillating Water Column (OWC) devices have not reached a fully commercial stage [6]. Installation, operation and maintenance in offshore environments pose a challenge for developers of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) [7].
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