Making wave power predictable

Researchers have developed a method of accurately predicting the power of approaching waves

The energy generated from our oceans could be doubled using new methods for predicting wave power, academics have claimed.

Engineering researchers at the University of Exeter have developed a method of accurately predicting the power of approaching waves to make wave-converter technology far more efficient.

The research focused on point absorbers, commonly used floating devices with parts that move in response to waves, generating energy which they feed to the grid. 

Point absorbers are already known to be much more efficient in the amount of energy they produce if their response closely matches the force of the waves, and previous research has looked at trying to increase this efficiency. 

However, the Exeter research is the first study that has focused on increasing efficiency by predicting and controlling the internal forces of the device caused by forthcoming waves.

The team devised a system that enables the device to extract the maximum amount of energy by predicting the power of the incoming wave. This information enables a program to actively control the response required for a wave of a particular size. Because the device responds appropriately to the force of the next wave, it is far less likely to be damaged and would not need to be turned off in stormy conditions, as is currently the case.

Lead author Dr Guang Li of the University of Exeter said: “Our research has the potential to make huge advances to the progress of marine renewable energy. There are significant benefits to wave energy but progressing this technology has proved challenging.”

The next step for the researchers is to see how effective this approach could be at a large scale, by testing it in farms of wave-energy converters.