Abstract
In order to correctly predict and evaluate the response of wave energy converters (WECs), an accurate representation of wave climate resource is crucial. This paper gives an overview of wave resource modeling techniques and applies a methodology to estimate the naturally available and technically recoverable resource in a given deployment site. The methodology was initially developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), which uses a modified gamma spectrum to interpret sea state hindcast parameter data produced by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) WaveWatch III. This gamma spectrum is dependent on the calibration of two variables relating to the spectral width parameter and spectral peakedness parameter. In this study, this methodology was revised by the authors to increase its accuracy in formulating wavelength. The revised methodology shows how to assess a given geographic area’s wave resource based on its wave power density and total annual wave energy flux.
Highlights
This paper presents a systematic methodology to parameterize the wave energy resource for a given deployment site where a wave energy converter (WEC) is applied
In a recent study conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), data was collected from U.S coastal waters for a 51-month WaveWatch III hindcast database that was developed for the EPRI by the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [19]
The method presented in this study was used to estimate the available wave energy for the location of the NOAA National Data Buoy Center’s Station 42040 (LLNR 293)—Luke Offshore Test Platform, which is located about 64 nautical miles south of Dauphin Island, Alabama at 29◦12’45”N, 88◦12’27”W [24]
Summary
This paper presents a systematic methodology to parameterize the wave energy resource for a given deployment site where a wave energy converter (WEC) is applied. In order to eliminate the barrier caused by the limited descriptive ability of the power matrix, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the United Kingdom (U.K.) presented a preliminary wave energy device performance protocol, which describes the response of a WEC through several tables that outline the mean, standard deviation, and minimum and maximum power for each cell of the power matrix [4] This technique is relatively simple to use; the distribution of spectral shapes for a given Hs and Tp is highly dependent on the deployment location of the WECs. for each potential deployment site of WECs, such a table has to be created to depict the distribution of spectral shapes for the Hs and Tp in that location.
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