ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

A
PROJECT REPORT
ON
WAVE ENERGY
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements
For the award of B.Com(Honours) degree 2nd Semester
(2023-2024)
Maharishi Dayanand University
ROHTAK (Haryana)

Submitted To: Submitted By:-

Mr. Neeraj Singh Himanshi

Course Incharge B.com(Hon’s)
(Environmental Studies) Roll no. 1231179077
University roll no.

Department of Commerce

D.A.V Centenary College

N.I.T 3 Faridabad (Haryana)

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 D.A.V CENTENARY COLLEGE
Affiliated to M.D.University, Rohtak, Haryana

N.H.3 , NIT FARIDABAD-121001 (HARYANA)

NAAC Accredited ‘A’ Grade

Ref No. Dated

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this project report on WAVE ENERGY , done by

. S/O D/O under
college roll no. University Registration No.
. in partial fulfillment course requirement of
BCOM(HONOURS)-II Semester Session 2023-2024.

Dr. Neeraj Singh

(Project Supervisor)

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I take this opportunity to thank Dr. Neeraj Singh for his

continuous encouragement to carry out a study from
secondary data, which has provided me new insight into my
topic of WAVE ENERGY . I would also thank my sources
who gave the much needed data without which this would not
have been possible.

My thanks and appreciation also go to my friends helping

with the project and people who have willingly helped me out.

Himanshi

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 DECLARATION

This project titled “wave energy” is a presentation of my original

research work . wherever contributions of others are involved , every
efforts is made to indicate this clearly , with due respect to the
literature , and acknowledgement of collaborative research and
discussions.

Date:

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ABSTRACT OF THE STUDY

•Oceans energy is the one of the most promising energy

resources. Three – fourth of the earth`s surface is covered by
the oceans . The renewable energy source is mainly contained
in waves,oceans current and offshore solar energy.

•Very fewer efforts have been made to harness this reliable

and predictable resource. A novel concept of on-shore wave
energy extraction method is presented.

•The concept is based upon total energy conservation, where

energy of wave is transferred to the flexible converter to
increase its kinetic energy. Squeezing action by the external
pressure on the converter body results in increase velocities at
discharge section.

High velocity head then can be used for energy storage or for
direct utility of power generation. This converter utilizes the
both potential and kinetic energy of the waves and designed
for on-shore or near-shore application.

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 INDEX
S.R NO TOPIC PAGE NO.
1. Points to be covered 7

2. About energy 8

3. What is wave energy? 9

4. Introduction to wave energy 10

5. History of wave energy 11

6. About Wave energy converter 13

7. Wave energy design archtypes 14

8. How much wave energy is available ? 18

9. Where is wave energy? 19

10. The World Waves data 20

11. Wave energy challenges 22

12. Summary 24

13. Bibliography 25

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 POINTS TO BE COVERED

❖ ABOUT ENERGY
❖ SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WAVE ENERGY
❖ INTRODUCTION
❖ HISTORY OF WAVE ENERGY
❖ ABOUT WAVE ENERGY CONVRTERS
❖ WAVE ENERGY ARCHETYPES
❖ HOW MUCH WAVE ENERGY IS AVAILABLE ?
❖ WHERE IS WAVE ENERGY?
❖ ABOUT THE WORLDWAVE DATA
❖ SOME CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED BY THE WAVE ENERGY .

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 ENERGY
THE TERM ENERGY WAS COINED BY THOMAS YOUNG (1737-1829),
EIGHTY YEARS AFTER NEWTON AND APPLIED IT TO WHAT IT IS
CALLED KINETC ENERGY . THE TERM ENERGY CAN BE DEFINED AS
THE ABILITY / CAPACITY TO DO WORK. THE TWO LAWS OF
THERMODYNAMICS DESCRIBE THE BEHAVIOUR OF ENERGY .
• THR FIRST LAW STATES THAT ENERGY CAN NETHER BE
CREATED NOR DESTROYED HOPWEVER,IT CAN BE
TRANSFERRED FROM ONE TO ANOTHER.
• THE SECOND LAW STATES THAT SOME ENERGY IS ALWAYS
DISSIPATED INTOO UNAVAILABLE FORM I.E HEAT ENERGY.
THERE IS NO SPONTANEOUS TRANSFORMATION OF ENERGY
FROM ONE FORM TO ANOTHER THAT IS 100 PER CENT
EFFICIENT.

ENERGY IS REQUIRED BY ALL LIVING ORGANISM AND

VEGETATION FOR THE BIOCHEMICAL REACTION OF THEIR
CELLS . IN FACT , ALL LIVING ORGANISM OPERATES USING
ENERGY.

ENERY MOVES THE UNIVERSE . BOUT 99.8 PEER CENT OF OUR

ENERGY COMES FROM SOLAR RADITAION . IT IS THE SOLAR
ENERGY THAT PLANTS USES TO MAKE FOOD WHICH GET
STORED IN PLANT AS BIOMASS.

THERE ARE SO MANY TYPES OF ENERGY THAT EXISIST BUT

HERE IN THIS PROJECT WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS ABOUT
“WAVE ENERGY”

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 SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WAVE ENERGY

Wave energy is the transport and capture of energy by ocean surface . energy
transferred from wind to waves.
Wave energy is a form of renewable energy that can be harnessed from the
motion of the waves. There are several methods of harnessing waves energy
that involves placing electricity generators on the surface of the ocean.
Waves are generated primarily by wind passing over the sea's surface and also
by tidal forces, temperature variations, and other factors. As long as the waves
propagate slower than the wind speed just above, energy is transferred from the
wind to the waves. Air pressure differences between the windward and leeward
sides of a wave crest and surface friction from the wind cause shear stress and
wave growth.
Wave power as a descriptive term is different from tidal power, which seeks to
primarily capture the energy of the current caused by the gravitational pull of
the Sun and Moon. However, wave power and tidal power are not
fundamentally distinct and have significant cross-over in technology and
implementation. Other forces can create currents, including breaking waves,
wind, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences.
As of 2023, wave power is not widely employed for commercial applications,
after a long series of trial projects. Attempts to use this energy began in 1890 or
earlier,mainly due to its high power density. Just below the ocean's water
surface the wave energy flow, in time-average, is typically five times denser
than the wind energy flow 20 m above the sea surface, and 10 to 30 times
denser than the solar energy flow.
In 2000 the world's first commercial wave power device, the Islay LIMPET
was installed on the coast of Islay in Scotland and connected to the UK national
grid.In 2008, the first experimental multi-generator wave farm was opened in
Portugal at the Aguçadoura wave park.Both projects have since ended.
Wave energy converters can be classified based on their working principle as
either:
• oscillating water columns (with air turbine)
• oscillating bodies (with hydroelectric motor, hydraulic turbine, linear
electrical generator)

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 INTRODUCTION

Today most of the world's electric power production comes from fossil-
fueled plants. As the demand for electricity is forecasted to increase, there
is an urgent need to find new methods to extract electric energy from
renewable sources.

The annual wave energy potential along the southern Indian coast is
between 5 to 15 MW per meter. But the variation of sea-bed topography
can lead to the focusing of wave energy in concentrated regions near the
shoreline called „hotspots". The best spots for wave energy are at
Vizhinjam, of Kerela and Havelock island of Andaman islands. As this is
a renewable source of energy the future prospects of this energy are high.

A novel concept of on-shore wave energy extraction method is presented.

The concept is based upon total energy conservation, where energy of
wave is transferred to the flexible converter to increase its kinetic energy.
Squeezing action by the external pressure on the converter body results in
increase velocities at discharge section.

Wave energy research in India was initiated in 1983 when the Department
of Ocean Development of Government of India provided funds to Indian
Institute of Technology, Madras, for carrying out the research.

Wave energy has the potential to be used in various ways to tackle

climate change in India, including renewable energy generation,
decentralised power generation, off-grid power generation, energy
storage, and desalination. For instance, green hydrogen can be used in
steel production to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Wave energy has enormous potential in India, and leveraging it can help
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy access, and promote
sustainable development. India can benefit from this clean and renewable
energy source by developing policies and incentives to encourage growth.

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 HISTORY OF WAVE ENERGY

The first known patent to extract energy from ocean waves was in 1799, filed in
Paris by Pierre-Simon Girard and his son.An early device was constructed
around The first known patent to extract energy from ocean waves was in 1799,
filed in Paris by Pierre-Simon Girard and his son. An early device was
constructed around 1910 by Bochaux-Praceique to power his house in Royan,
France. It appears that this was the first oscillating water-column type of wave-
energy device. From 1855 to 1973 there were 340 patents filed in the UK alone.
Modern pursuit of wave energy was pioneered by Yoshio Masuda's 1940s
experiments.He tested various concepts, constructing hundreds of units used to
power navigation lights. Among these was the concept of extracting power from
the angular motion at the joints of an articulated raft, which Masuda proposed in
the 1950s.

The oil crisis in 1973 renewed interest in wave energy. Substantial wave-energy
development programmes were launched by governments in several countries,
in particular in the UK, Norway and Sweden. Researchers re-examined waves'
potential to extract energy, notably Stephen Salter, Johannes Falnes, Kjell
Budal, Michael E. McCormick, David Evans, Michael French, Nick Newman,
and C. C. Mei.

Salter's 1974 invention became known as Salter's duck or nodding duck,

officially the Edinburgh Duck. In small-scale tests, the Duck's curved cam-like
body can stop 90% of wave motion and can convert 90% of that to electricity,
giving 81% efficiency. In the 1980s, several other first-generation prototypes
were tested, but as oil prices ebbed, wave-energy funding shrank. Climate
change later reenergized the field.

The world's first wave energy test facility was established in Orkney, Scotland
in 2003 to kick-start the development of a wave and tidal energy industry. The

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European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has supported the deployment of
more wave and tidal energy devices than any other single site.Subsequent to its
establishment test facilities occurred also in many other countries around the
world, providing services and infrastructure for device testing.

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 Wave Energy Converter
Wave energy converters (WECs) are devices that convert the kinetic and
potential energy associated with a moving ocean wave into useful mechanical or
electrical energy. Wave energy converters can provide clean energy to power the
electrical grid as well as many other applications such as propulsion for ocean
vehicles or pumping for seawater desalination.

While there are many unique wave energy converters, they tend to follow
common designs, or design archetypes. The most common type of wave energy
converter is the point absorber, but there are many variants on this design
archetype.

❖ Point absorbers
❖ Terminators
❖ Attenuators
❖ Oscillating wave surge
❖ Oscillating water column
❖ Submerged pressure differential
❖ Rotating mass

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 WAVE ENERGY DESIGN ARCHETYPES

There are numerous types of wave energy converters; in fact, that’s part of the
reason that wave energy hasn’t grown as rapidly as wind or solar, there is still
not convergence on a single design archetype. Often, one device might work
well in one wave environment, but very inefficiency in another. Each design is
unique and R&D efforts are spread across many different archetypes which
makes for slow progress. The devices below are the most common types of
wave energy converters.

❖ Point Absorbers
Point absorber
wave energy
converters are
floating
structures that
have a small
horizontal
dimension
compared with
their vertical
dimension and
utilize the wave
action at a
single point. Most designs for point absorbers resemble a run-of-the-mill buoy,
at least from the surface. In a the typical point absorber design one end of the
absorber is fixed (or at least fixed relative to the water’s surface) while the other
end moves in a vertical motion as the wave crests and troughs lift and lower the
device. The resulting reciprocating action is used to pump a fluid or drive a
linear generator, which in turn can provide usable power. Referencing our six
degrees of freedom above, this device takes advantage of the heaving motion
from the up-and-down of ocean waves. Point absorbers are one of the most
prevalent design archetypes in the marine energy sector today.

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 ❖ Overtopping or
Terminator
Devices

Overtopping wave energy

converters, sometimes called
terminators, utilize a
difference in potential energy
by raising a volume of water to
a height above the ocean’s
surface. These devices recreate
a similar wave action that you might find naturally on a beach. Floating
outstretched arms focus waves so that they build in height as they approach an
artificial ‘beach’ at the center of the device. As the waves hit the artificial beach
they run-up a ramp and into a storage reservoir which is at an elevation higher
than the surrounding sea level. From here the fluid is allowed to drain back down,
courtesy of gravity, and the flow is used to power a turbine. In some respects,
these designs are very similar to the methods use in hydroelectric dams. Note that
these types of wave energy converters must adjust, or tune, themselves to the
height of the oncoming waves for best efficiency. These devices are more likely
to be found near shore, but some have been converted for offshore use, such as
the Wave Dragon

❖ Oscillating Water Column (OWC)

Oscillating Water Columns (OWC) often
resemble an ‘L’ shape at the water’s
surface. In this design air is trapped in a
chamber between the water’s surface and
a bi-directional air turbine mounted on the
top of the platformAs the water level rises
with the crest of the wave, it squeezes the
air and raises the air pressure in the
chamber which forces it through the
turbine causing it to spin. When the the water level drops from the trough of the
wave, it creates a slight vacuum within the chamber and air is drawn from the
outside through the turbine, again causing it to spin. Although the turbine blades

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on either end of the bi-directional turbine may spin in opposite directions, the
turbine’s main shaft spins in one direction, which allows it to drive a turbine
generator and produce electricity.

❖ Attenuators
Attenuators are wave energy converters that are oriented parallel to the direction
of wave travel. They are usually (but not always) modular in design and rely on
the flexing of joints to generate power. Think of two barges linked together like
wings. Referencing our six degrees-of-freedom diagram, these devices try to
capitalize on several different translations of motion; such as surge, sway, and
heave as examples. The dominant wave length is an important consideration for
these designs so that maximum power can be extracted from a given wave
climate. An
example of
this type of
WEC is
Pelamis,
manufactured
by Pelamis
Wave Power. Pelamis is a semi-submerged, articulated structure composed of
cylindrical sections connected with hinged joints. The wave-induced motion of
the joints is resisted by hydraulic rams that pump high-pressure fluid to drive
hydraulic motors, which in turn power electrical generators to produce electricity.

❖ Oscillating Wave Surge

This design archetype of wave energy converters uses the surge motion of ocean
waves to flap back-and-forth. These devices are almost always completely
submerged, generally resting on the seafloor in shallow water, sometimes even
in the more dangerous breakwater areas.
The most simple design is a pendulum
arm flap that pivots on a hinged joint as
wave motion acts on it, causing it to
oscillate back and forth. The movement
of the flap acts like a large lever arm
which can be mechanically linked to a
generator to produce electricity or a
pump to pressurize a fluid.

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 ❖ Submerged Pressure Differential
This class of wave energy
converter comes in two different
flavors. In one type, the device
rests on or near the seafloor and
relies on pressure fluctuations as
a wave passes overhead to flex a
pliable material such as a air
bladder and squeeze a fluid to
drive a turbine or some other
power take-off unit. The other type is similar to a point absorber, but
submerged. In this type, a buoyant, submerged float is actuated by passing
waves and this reciprocating motion is converted to energy with a linear
generator. Why would you want to submerge a point absorber? One reason
might be to help with storm survivability – the energy in a wave decreases with
depth, so while there may be less energy to extract it also might be a less
dangerous area to operate.

❖ Rotating Mass
Rotating mass wave energy converters are generally surface riders that use an
internal weight rotating about a fixed point to drive a rotational alternator. The
rocking motion of ocean waves
cause the hull’s center of buoyancy
and center of gravity to shift, and
the rotating mass thus rotates
about its axis to find its new center
point as the vessel’s trim and pitch
flucuate. Since waves keep the
device constantly rolling and
swaying, the mass is constantly
rotating trying to reach equilibrium while also generating power. This device
takes advantage of multiple translations of motion, most notably rolling and
pitching caused by waves.

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 HOW MUCH WAVE ENERGY IS AVAILABLE?

According to researchers from the US Department of Energy, in the United

States there is an estimated Terawatt-hours per year technically available from
ocean waves around the United States. This equates to about 9% of annual total
electricity consumption in the US. You can explore this data at the Marine
Energy Atlas, hosted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Globally, an estimated 29,500 Terawatt-hours of energy could be produced from

ocean waves annually according to the The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC).

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 WHERE IS WAVE ENERGY?
Ocean waves can be produced from several phenomena, such as boats, seismic
disturbances, the moon and sun gravitational pull, and wind. It is this last one
that produces waves with the most energy density and which are usually used
for wave energy harvesting.

Therefore the best waves for wave energy conversion are usually found in areas
with strong, consistent winds. The map here shows the global hot spots for wave
energy, expressed in units of kilowatts per meter of wave front. Notice that most
high-power waves are found near the poles. The Southern Ocean, with it’s
enormous wind fetch, has tremendous energy. The Marine Energy Atlas shows
area of wave energy around the United States.

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 THE WORLDWAVES DATA
The global wave power dataset used is the default calibrated wave database
contained in the standard WorldWaves package. These data consist of
operational ECMWF WAM model data (Komen et al, 1994) for a 10-year
period from 1997-2006 at 6-hourly intervals on a 0.5° lat/lon grid worldwide
which have been validated and calibrated using global TOPEX and JASON
(Table 1) altimeter significant wave height and wind speed data on a point-to-
point basis. The correlation coefficient between significant wave height from
the model and the satellites is displayed in the map in Figure 1 for all global
calibration points, proving the high quality of these data. Buoy data from many
measurement campaigns have also been used as a final verification of the final
WorldWaves database.
Table 1 – Satellite altimeter missions used for the standard global World Waves
data calibration
Availability Source Satellite
1992-2002 NASA/CNES Topex/Poseidon
2002-2006 NASA/CNES Jason-1 (Topex-Follow-
on, old Topex orbit

The below map shows the annual global gross theoretical wave power for all
World Waves grid points worldwide.

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Table below shows the Global and regional theoretical wave power resource (in
GW). Left column presents the gross power, the middle one the power
excluding the areas where P<5 kW/m and the right column the net power
(excluding areas where P<5 kW/m and potentially ice covered ones).

REGIONS P gross P P net

Europe (N and 381 223371 286
W)
Baltic Sea 15 4 1
European Russia 37 22 3
Mediterranean 75 37 37
North Atlantic 111 111 111
Archipelagos
North America (E) 115 103 35
North America
(W) 273 265 207
Greenland
Central America 103 99 3
South America (E) 180 171 171
South America
(W) 206 203 202
325 324 324

North Africa 40 40 40
West and Middle 77 77 77
Africa
Africa (S) 178 178 178
Africa( E) 133 133 127
Asia (E) 173 164 157
Asia (SE) and
Melanesia 356 283 283
Asia (W and S) 100 90 84
Asiatic Russia

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 WAVE ENERGY CHALLENGES

THESE ARE THE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED BY

THE WAVE ENERGY

COST EFFICIENCY ENVIRONMENT

SITING AND INVESTMENT

PERMITING

Wave energy is a challenging form of renewable energy to commercialize for

several reasons, including:

Cost: Wave energy converters are expensive relative to other renewables like
solar and wind. This is largely due to the challenges of designing, building,
permitting, and maintaining large systems operating in the ocean for years or
decades when there is no established supply chain.
Efficiency: Wave energy converters typically have conversion efficiencies well
below 50%. Moreover, WECs often need to be tuned to the specific wave
frequency to maximize energy collection, this can be challenging or impossible
in certain sea states.

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Environment: The ocean is an unforgiving environment: biofouling, corrosion,
dynamic loads from wind and currents, and extreme weather events make it
difficult to design systems that work reliably for years on end.
Siting and Permitting: The ocean is a crowded place, it is not easy to find a
piece of ocean real estate that doesn’t conflict with some other user group like
fisheries, marine protected areas, oil and gas, shipping lanes, etc. If a reasonable
site is found, the permitting process can take several years.
Investment: After several failed systems, the investor appetite for wave energy
is low. Most funding for developing these technologies is cobbled together
through federal and state grants. The capital costs for building and testing these
machines is high which makes it hard for wave energy technology developers to
make it through the start-up valley of death.

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 SUMMARY

Similar to wind energy, and in contrast to tidal energy, wave energy is a

stochastic form of electricity generation. Although modern forecasts make it
possible to predict waves with certainty over relatively short timescales (e.g.
24–48 h), any longer-term planning must rely on statistical trends such as
seasonal variability. This is one of the challenges of wave energy conversion,
another being the extreme nature of the locations where, by their very nature,
the wave climate could be suitable for electricity generation. However, wave
energy has huge global potential, and its geographical distribution is generally
more diverse than tidal energy, which tends to be confined to a relatively low
number of ‘hot spots’ such as flow around headlands or through straits.
Therefore, there is much global interest, R&D, and investment in wave energy
projects and technologies. In this , we investigate the nature of wind waves,
through a consideration of linear wave theory, examining fundamental
properties of waves such as the dispersion relationship, wave power, and wave
transformation in shoaling water. We introduce the various wave energy
converter technologies and examine the theory of heaving point absorbers in
some detail. Finally, we consider wave resource assessment and
characterization, examining timescales of variability, and the theoretical versus
technical resource.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.Science direct https://www.sciencedirect.com/

2.Liquid grid https://theliquidgrid.com/marine-clean-tech-
briefs/wave-energy-converters/
3. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

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