Functional description of the
WaveEL-Buoy
The WaveEL-Buoy consists of four main components, a
buoy body, an acceleration tube, a hydraulic energy conversion
system and a so called Slack Mooring system which keeps the buoy on
station without impeding its vertical motion in the waves.
The buoy body is cylindrical with a conical bottom; the upper half
holds all equipment and the lower part is the actual floatation
unit.
The acceleration tube, which is open in both ends, is attached to
the buoy and sticks about 25 m down below the buoy.
A water piston is placed inside the acceleration tube. When the buoy
and the attached acceleration tube heaves up and down in the waves
the inertia of the water mass in the acceleration tube will brake
the water pistons motion in relation to the acceleration tube. This
energy is harvested and converted to electricity.
The generated electric power is fed to shore through a power cable
on the ocean floor. At shore a land station with all necessary power
electronics will transform and invert the power to the required
voltage and frequency to be accepted by the power grid.
