Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Matching a Wells` turbine to the Islay oscillating water column wave power converter

Conference ·
OSTI ID:182694
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Queen`s Univ., Belfast, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)
The problem of matching a Wells` self rectifying air turbine to an oscillating water column (OWC) wave power converter is addressed, with particular reference to the Islay prototype plant. There are two distinct areas to be considered. Firstly, to enable efficient conversion of wave power to pneumatic power the level of damping applied by the turbine must optimize the hydrodynamic behavior of the OWC. Secondly, a Wells` turbine is able to convert power over a limited range of flow conditions only. For efficient conversion of pneumatic power to mechanical power the efficient working range of the turbine must cover a sufficient amounts of the range of flows produced by the OWC. Suitable predictive methods are therefore required for both turbine and column behavior, as well as a knowledge of the wave climate in which the column must operate.
OSTI ID:
182694
Report Number(s):
CONF-950695--; ISBN 0-7918-1306-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English