The future of renewable-energy

   It is estimated that the global energy consumption in 2040 will be 30% greater than the one in 2010. There is a tendency for a consumption in electricity in the future. Given the traditional energy sources, this demand can not cover the future demands in energy. Although great effort have been made in the past three decades in the development of solar and wind energy generation there is one energy source that has not been developed yet and that is the wave energy generation. Wave energy power is enormous compared with other renewable energy resources because its density (2-3Kw/m2) is greater than other sources wind (0.4-0.6 Kw/m2) and solar (0.1-0.2 Kw/m2). There are a number of advantages using the wave energy and firstly the waves can travel large distances with little energy loss. Secondly the wave energy converters can generate power  and up to 90% faster than the wind and solar energy converter. Last but not least the wave energy could be produced, onshore, nearshore, offshore and from surface into bottom using the current waves and the motion of the waves. All of these years there were many companies that tried to design and harness the wave energy with a different approach. For example all of these years many companies have made prototypes that varied and could be classified according to three characteristics: location, size and working principle. As concerned the location there are three types of wave energy converter the on shore devices that are located at the shore and can be placed above the sea, the nearshore devices that are installed a few hundred meters from the shore in moderate water depths and the offshore devices that are located in deep waters far from the shore.

EXAMPLE OF ONSHORE WAVE ENERGY COVERTER 

EXAMPLE OF NEARSHORE WAVE ENERGY COVERTER


EXAMPLE OF OFFSHORE WAVE ENERGY COVERTER

   Another classification is the device size and the directional wave characteristics. There are long length devices that they are placed in the direction of wave and the called Attenuators and perpendicular to the wave direction called Terminators. There are also devices that they called point Absorbers and they collect the energy in all directions of the wavelength. There is also a classification in their working principle. In that case the devices can be classified firstly in differential pressure, where the pressure difference is used between the wave crests and troughs over the device  in order to generate electricity. Secondly in  floating structure where the floating body moved by the wave vertical, horizontal, pitch or a combination of them make the oscillating producing electric energy. There are also the over-topping devices which force water to pass over the structure and then release the water back to sea through turbines. The category of impact devices are last in the list of classification, as they are flexible structures that are positioned perpendicular to the wave direction and in this way the deflector move back and forth due to the wave impact generating electricity. 

   The design of the energy converter is a challenge for the designers and the engineers in order to harness the renewable wave and tidal power. The EEL energy company designed a flexible tidal and wave converter that uses the natural movement of the ocean current and with the contribution of the membrane and a system of coils and magnets can generate electricity. The unique design of the membrane is based on the natural motion of the marine mammals underlining that the nature has all the answers to our problems. After designing, simulating and producing a prototype the measuring data were encouraging and the only thing that left, is the production of a large scale projects that will produce 1 MW electricity and it is in the search of investors.

THE FUTURE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY