Small Scale Low Height Wave Energy Seawater Pump for Achieving Environmental and Economic Sustainability

Abstract

This study is about the design and development of seawater pump powered by low height sea wave at near shore region. This study focuses on developing seawater pump that does not use any electricity for delivering high pressure saline water to on shore region which is in line with the global renewable energy quest. Malaysia is blessed with the geographic location of surrounded by sea which enable this technology to be utilized. The challenge in utilizing such technology is due to the nature of the sea wave surrounding Malaysia that is classified as low height sea wave which increase the difficulty in utilizing such technology in neither electricity generation nor sea water delivery. On top of that, there is limited study available in this area especially low wave height. The prototype is designed based on point absorber concept with piston type pump configuration for water delivery. Then the prototype is tested at the Mukah Beach with average recorded wave height of less than 1m. Findings demonstrated that a single prototype pump is capable of delivering maximum pressure head of 10m with maximum flow of 1.2Litre per minute (LPM). For three pumps connected in series, the maximum pressure head can reach up to 25m pressure head with maximum flow rate of 1.5LPM. Similarly, when connected in parallel, the system capable to deliver up to 14m of pressure head and 3LPM of flow rate. The findings indicate that the prototype is significant for seawater delivering. Although the output of the prototype is small, its potential is yet to be fully unleashed. Therefore, it is highly recommended for future study the prototype to be pair together with more similar pumps in series or parallel configurations to form a system of pumps to create higher flow and higher head for more application. This study concludes that the designed and developed prototype is useful for delivering saline water for various application such as seawater desalination or electricity generation in near shore area or islands.