Investigation in a Ocean Wave Energy Converter with a Flywhee

A wave energy converter with a flywheel has been investigated and three conceptual designs of power take-off system have came up of which the third generation conceptual design has been built as a prototype for test. Among variable types of wave energy converters, Salter's Duck can convert wave energy to mechanical energy with high efficiency up to 90%. Salter's Duck moves in two directions as waves come and a power take-off system should be designed connected with Salter's Duck for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy. Considering the intermittent energy input, a flywheel energy storage system is included in the power take-off system. The prototype built based on the third generation conceptual design is able to capture energy in both directions which means no matter Salter's Duck moves up or moves down increasing the energy conversion efficiency. Three groups of tests are carried out under the conditions of different power input and different number of flywheels to demonstrate that flywheels can smooth the power output. The results from tests can be referred to for building real model in the future.