Development And Model Test Of The Mushroom Wave Energy Converter

Exploiting marine energy is an effective way to relieve the crisis of fossil fuel.As an important branch of marine energy exploitation — wave energy may keep the sustainable development of the national economy if research can be devoted to.In this paper,the category,advantages and disadvantages of wave energy converters have been investigated.An innovation wave energy converter?Mushroom is designed by SolidWorks.The motion performance and output power performance are investigated in regualr and irregular waves.By changing the PTO damping of wave-absorbed buoy and wave-absorbed column,the average output power in three kinds of PTO damping are gotten in regular wave test.The results indicate that it is better to adapt low damping in high frequence wave and adapt high damping in low frequence wave.The relation between power of wave-absorbed device and wave power in various frequence is gotten in irregular wave test data.From the relation wave-absorbed buoy has a wide frequency response range and wave-absorbed column absorbs more energy in low frequence wave than high frequence wave.Differential equation of heave motion is conducted to calculate the average output power of heaving buoy in regular wave.The test data from buoy in only heave motion match well with the numerical simulation.Based on AR short term prediction method,a embedded system is made by AVR microcontroler.This embedded system can predict the encounter wave frequency ahead of 2 seconds and the advanced output power is verfied in irregular wave test.4% output power can be advanced when AR short term prediction method is applied in the irregular wave test.Considering the fabrication,tranport,installation and maintenance,the primary design of Mushroom wave energy converter prototype is designed based on model test data.The protoype can convert the mechanical energy which is generated form wave energy to electric energy.Simple motion form,independent output energy by two wave-absorbed part and reliable electric energy are all the figures.Wave-absorbed buoys and wave-absorbed columns mainly absorb the potential energy and kinetic energy of wave energy.The prototype can advance the frequency response wide and power generation efficiency.The basal ship is applied in the trasport and installation.This design improves the mobility,flexibility and decreases the maintenance cost.The basal ship which is fixed to the sea bed by anchor chains can lifting with tide and increase the power generation efficiency.Wave-absorbed buoy and wave-absorbed column are groove-connected.Wave-absorbed column is bottom-hinged with the basal ship and it will incline to the deck as bad wave condition comes.