Flexible Wave Energy Panel for Mass Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wave energy converters face challenges in efficiently capturing and converting the kinetic energy of ocean waves due to unpredictable wave patterns and extreme weather conditions, leading to high fabrication and installation costs.
Innovation Solution
A wave energy converter system that utilizes a submerged flexible panel to capture wave kinetic energy, transmitting the force through a rigid structure to power conversion devices such as electrical generators or hydraulic pumps, while optimizing panel design to minimize added mass and maximize drag efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional wave energy converters are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, then reliability is improved, but fabrication and installation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the panel flexible rather than rigid, allowing it to deform with wave motion. This flexible panel design reduces the need for heavy reinforcement structures, thereby lowering fabrication and installation costs while maintaining reliability through adaptive motion rather than rigid resistance to extreme waves
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the panel from rigid to flexible, transforming how the structure interacts with wave forces. This parameter change allows the panel to absorb energy through deformation rather than resisting forces rigidly, reducing material requirements and costs while maintaining structural integrity under extreme conditions
2Power
If wave energy converters use rigid structures to capture wave energy, then power generation capability is improved, but added mass increases reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible shells and thin films by using a flexible panel instead of a rigid structure. This flexible panel captures wave energy through its deformation and motion, generating power while minimizing added mass because the flexible material moves with the waves rather than resisting them rigidly, thereby improving efficiency
3Productivity
If wave energy converters are designed for specific wave amplitudes, then power extraction efficiency is improved, but adaptability to varying wave conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by designing a flexible panel that automatically adapts its deformation characteristics based on wave conditions. The panel's flexibility allows it to optimize its motion and energy extraction across a wide range of wave amplitudes without requiring adjustment mechanisms, thereby maintaining both high productivity and versatility across varying sea states
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively captures and converts wave energy across a wide range of depths and wave heights, reducing material requirements and costs, and achieving a competitive Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) compared to traditional renewable energy sources.
Implementation Method 1
The horizontal orbital velocity generates a force in the same direction on the impinging side of the energy absorbing panel while the velocity that the energy absorbing panel is being pushed through the water generates an opposing force on the opposite side of the energy absorbing panel
Implementation Method 2
the concave shape of the flexible membrane increases the drag coefficient on the side of the energy absorbing panel that is being impinged upon by the horizontal orbital velocity
Data Source
AI summary
In certain embodiments, an ocean wave energy extraction system including a wave energy panel may capture kinetic energy from an ocean wave as a force applied to a flexible membrane that drives the WEP back and forth in a reciprocating motion. The WEP dimensions may be selected so that the energy extracted from the wave is maximized and the added mass is minimized. A flexible membrane may be supported on two opposite edges by structural members that may pivot about a base. The shape of the flexible membrane may reciprocate in response to alternating horizontal wave orbital velocities. The force applied to the flexible membrane may be transmitted through the structural members to a power extraction device, such as a hydraulic pump or an electrical generator, that may be mounted to the base. Multiple WEPs may be arranged parallel to the wave crest to produce additional power.