Pelamis wave energy converter
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The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter is an emerging technology that will use the motion of ocean waves to create electricity. The first "wave farm" is planned for 2006 off the coast of Portugal near the city of Póvoa de Varzim. The wave farms will use three Pelamis P-750 machines, with each machine capable of producing 750 kilowatts, and each farm producing 2.25 megawatts. The farm will displace more than 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise be produced by conventional hydrocarbon-fuelled power plants.(1)
The first twelve tube sections will be constructed at the Arnish manufacturing site, on the Isle of Lewis by the Scottish company Camcal while the remaining will be constructed in Portugal.
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[edit] Principles
The Pelamis is an attenuating wave device designed for survivability at sea rather than highly efficient energy conversion. This means that rather than absorbing all of the energy available in a wave, it converts only a portion of that energy to electricity. This is principally so that the device can survive in dangerous storm conditions which could do considerable damage to a wave device attempting to absorb all the available energy.
[edit] Operation
The Pelamis device consists of a series of semi-submerged cylindrical sections linked by hinged joints. The wave induced relative motion of these sections is resisted by hydraulic rams which pump high pressure oil through hydraulic motors via smoothing hydraulic accumulators. The hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce electricity, 30 of these machines can power 20,000 UK homes. Power from all the joints is fed down a single umbilical cable to a junction on the sea bed. Several devices can be connected together and linked to shore through a single seabed cable.
[edit] Etymology
Pelamis platurus is a yellow-bellied sea snake that lives in tropical and subtropical waters. It prefers shallow inshore waters.
