698084 X-1PY10-AT1-SHE Investigation (Janvi Pandya) PDF

Preview

Summary

this is a physics SHE Task on renewable energy....

Description

698084X-1PY10-AT1-SHE Investigation (J.P.)

Word Count: 1339

Influence of Wave Treader on the Society Wave power captures energy from wind and waves to generate electricity, desalinate, and pump water. Green Ocean Energy Ltd in Scotland developed a Wave Energy device called the Wave Treader. It is a renewable energy source that has a minimal environmental impact. Wave Treader is needed because it reduces carbon footprint, enhances energy efficiency and yields energy from the ocean waves. Wave Treader floats horizontally to extract energy from the larger part of the waves as it passes. Wind passing over the surface of the sea generates waves.1 Water waves can be longitudinal or transverse wave motion. Wave energy is a renewable source of energy created by natural transfer of wind energy above the oceans, created by the solar energy from the sun. As the wind blows across the ocean’s surface, air particles move transferring their energy to the water molecules. This determines the Law of Conservation of Energy as energy is transferred with kinetic energy to the ocean’s surface, and the waves grow bigger. Large waves are called the gravity waves, created by the potential energy in the waves generated by the wind. The oscillatory nature of the waves provides with an opportunity to use Wave power technology such as the Wave Treader to harness energy produced by the ocean waves2. As long as the waves propagate slower than the wind speed, there is an energy transfer from the wind to the waves 3 because, oscillations are stronger on the surface of the wave in contact with the air, and becomes weaker in deep water 4. Wave growth occurs when there is a difference in air pressure between the upwind (against the wind), and the trough, as well as the friction on the water surface by the wind making the water go into sheer stress. Shear stress is a force that tends to deform a material from a slippage against the wall. 5 According to Newton’s Third Law, shear stress will act in the opposite direction of the flow but, the wall will feel the stress in the direction of the flow. The waves promulgate on the sea surface, and the wave energy is transported horizontally. The mean vehicle rate of the wave energy through an upward plane of unit width, corresponding to a wave peak, is known as the wave energy flux. The Wave Treader is a device that shares the wind farm infrastructure to increase yield from the same area, and to generate wave energy. 6 It comprises of two arms ascended on an air chamber along the Wave Treader to increase stability and buoyancy 7, an interface structure installed at the wind turbines, and 1 AZoCleantech.com. (2012) 2 (courses.lumenlearning.com, n.d.) 3 AZoCleantech.com. (2012) 4 (courses.lumenlearning.com, n.d.) 5 (Shear stress | physics, 2019) 6 (www.power-technology.com, n.d.) 7 (www.merriam-webster.com, n.d.)

698084X-1PY10-AT1-SHE Investigation (J.P.)

Word Count: 1339

hydraulic cylinders between the arms and the interface structure. When a wave comes, the forearm and sponsons are raised and lowered, striking the hydraulic cylinders. The hydraulic fluid is pressurized inside the cylinders. Fuel is stored in a form of pressurized fluid by hydraulic accumulators and is driven to the hydraulic motor to generate electricity. The process is repeated when the wave passes over the forearm and the sponson in the opposite direction. Generated wave power is transmitted with help by the wind farm’s cable transmission system. The interface structure includes vertical and rotary motion in the tidal range, which enables the sponsons to be aligned toward the waves. It can generate 500kW to 700kW of electricity. Wave Treader is built from floating bodies moulded of glass-reinforced plastic. It comprises steel load-bearing members constructed of off-the-shelf hydraulic and electric equipment. The current design gives the device an operational life of 25 years, assuming an overhaul every five years. The US patent the design, while patents in other countries are yet to be received. Figure 1Two arms and sponsons connected by an interface structure

Two arms

Interface structure

8

The acceptance and use of Wave Treader technology to harness energy from waves is influenced from economic considerations. It provides operation cost reduction by sharing the infrastructure costs with offshore wind farms. From a single installation, wind turbines produce wind and wave energy. As it is economically viable, technicians can repair the device as it is accessible in the event of maintenance. Green Ocean Energy received $ 183,150 funding from the Scottish Enterprise Seed Fund, and $274,725 of private investment, $94,000 of funding from the Juice Fund, donated by the UK-based energy company RWE npower. Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF) supports the project by investing $39,164 in the early stages of the development of the device . It is 8 (www.renewable-technology.com, n.d.)

698084X-1PY10-AT1-SHE Investigation (J.P.)

Word Count: 1339

currently studying the commercial feasibility of the device to be used to provide power for offshore structures to which it is attached. ITF’s operating members GDF Suez, Tata Steel, and Bosch Rexroth committed to investing $ 37,000 in the project. 9 This enables the company to develop and design a full scale Wave Treader10. The use of Wave Treader in ocean has unexpected consequences that provides opportunities for innovation. Optimum design is a significant challenge that limits the effectiveness of the Wave Treader technology for a long term use. It operates in the ocean, which is far more difficult than a system operating on land as the device has to stay effective during harsh weather and corrosive marine environment. The water density, velocity, and tide rates will change contingent to local wave conditions. 11 Waves can go up and down, or converge from all sides, or roll past the device providing many opportunities for energy harness, but it is a challenge for the optimum design of the technology to harness energy efficiently. Moreover, Ocean Power Technology continues to deploy test devices to improve buoy-based technology. This means that Wave Treader will create economic development and jobs for people to operate and manage the wind farms. Wave Treader impacts society positively as it reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emission, and is financially benefitted. However, there are other sources that may outweigh the benefits of this technology such as fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are an inexpensive method of generating electricity as it uses coal, natural gas, and oil12 out of the ground but, these resources are rare and the Earth is limited to these items. Additionally, fossil fuels increases carbon footprint as they are burnt to produce energy. Whereas, Wave Treader harnesses energy from waves eliminating the production any greenhouse gas emission, reducing air pollution. It uses wave power to generate electricity which is unlimited meaning that Wave Treader is a better option than fossil fuels. Fossil fuels produce two-thirds of electricity from 24,000,000Wh of electricity,13 where Wave treader generates 500-700kW of electricity. However, fossil fuels generates more electricity than Wave Treader as two-thirds of 24,000,000 is approx. 16 million Wh of electricity, which is more than 500-700kW of electricity. Green Ocean Energy need to develop the technology in order to eliminate the use of other sources such as fossil fuels that affects the planet negatively. Wave Treader is a wind-wave energy technology that yields energy from wave energy and offshore wind farms. Wave Treader is a renewable energy source, can protect beach sectors against erosion, and is economically benefitted in terms of infrastructure costs. However, the device is in ocean and energy harnessing depends on the ocean environment, water density, velocity, tidal rates, weather, and the direction of waves. It indicates that optimum design is a significant challenge for Green Ocean Energy. Despite the challenge, the industry is slowly progressing. The company has received funding from many companies to develop and design a full scale-type Wave Treader. Therefore, SHE concepts of Application and Limitation, and Development are explored. 9 (www.renewable-technology.com, n.d.) 10 (AENews, n.d.) 11 (Rusu and Onea, 2018) 12 (FossilFuel.com, 2020) 13 (Let’s Talk Science, n.d.)

698084X-1PY10-AT1-SHE Investigation (J.P.)

Word Count: 1339

Reference List 2 New & Innovative Ocean Wave Energy Devices. [Online] Available at: https://www.alternative-energy-news.info/2-new-innovative-ocean-wave-energydevices/ [Accessed 21 May 2021]. A review of combined wave and offshore wind energy. [Online] . Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/74389659.pdf A review of the technologies for wave energy extraction. Clean Energy, 2(1), pp.10–19. Definition of SPONSON. [online] Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sponson#:~:text=1a%20%3A%20a%20projection%20(such [Accessed 27 May 2021]. Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/science/shear-stress Generating Electricity: Fossil Fuels. [online] Available at: https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/generating-electricity-fossilfuels#:~:text=Using%20fossil%20fuels%20is%20an%20inexpensive%20method%20of [Accessed 24 May 2021]. Green Ocean Energy Wave Treader - Renewable Technology. [Online] Available at: https://www.renewable-technology.com/projects/green-ocean-wavetreader/#:~:text=Technology%20used%20in%20Green%20Ocean%20Energy [Accessed 21 May 2021]. How Fossil Fuels are Used to Generate Electricity. [online] Available at: https://fossilfuel.com/how-fossil-fuels-are-used-to-generate-electricity/#:~:text=How %20Fossil%20Fuels%20are%20Used%20to%20Generate%20Electricity [Accessed 24 May 2021]. Review and classification of wave energy converters. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284616763_Review_and_classification_of_wave_energy_converters [Accessed 23 May 2021]. The Green Ocean Energy Wave Treader Project, UK - Power Technology | Energy News and Market Analysis. [online] Available at: https://www.powertechnology.com/projects/greenoceanenergywav/#:~:text=The%20Wave%20Treader%20is%20a [Accessed 27 May 2021]. Wave Power - The Theory Behind Ocean Waves. [Online] Available at: https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=227 Waves | Boundless Physics. [online] Available at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-physics/chapter/waves/#:~:text=If%20the%20waves %20move%20slower [Accessed 27 May 2021]....