The Seawatch buoy is a floating platform capable of housing a plethora of sensors whose purpose is to measure atmospheric and meteorological parameters. In the context of the development of our objectives, a comparative study of the state of the art floating devices dedicated to the measurement of marine environment parameters was made. In onshore wind generation parks, it is usual to carry out studies with a typical duration of two years.įor this reason we have designed and developed a sensor floating system able for long-period observation of energy resources in the marine environment.
ORCAFLEX RAR SERIES
In these studies, time series of data from historic years are used. Īs a prerequisite for the development of such projects, it is necessary to carry out preliminary economic feasibility studies that analyze the amount of energy resources existing in the sites under consideration. Specifically, for Europe, a potential of 1000 TWh/year is estimated. This type of wave converters are based on oscillating water columns (OWC), sea-wave slot-cone generators (SSG), overtopping flow devices (OTD), point absorbers (PA), oscillating wave surge converters, attenuators, submerged pressure differential devices, bulge wave, and rotating mass technology.Īccording to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimation, considering all areas with energy density from waves greater than 5 kW/m, there is a potential of around 32,000 TWh per year. īoth onshore (shoreline and nearshore) and offshore wave power generators are experiencing great development with new and diverse operational systems that have not yet reached their maximum potential. Projects like the SeaFlow (300 KW) at Lynmouth on the North Devon Coast or the more recent SeaGen (1.2 MW) in Strangford Narrows, Northern Ireland, prove the feasibility of this type of generation. Specifically, marine current turbine (MCT) technology is being seriously considered among research groups and companies. Marine energy generation has been pushed up recently with the installation of diverse systems for the use of waves and marine current energy. Additionally, operating conditions in open sea allow the installation of large-scale wind turbines (WTs), with rotor diameters that already exceed 120 m and are therefore capable of generating large amounts of power due to the area they are able to cover. At the same time, offshore windfarms reduce the inconveniences that onshore windfarms have, regarding aviary fauna and visual and noise pollution. Since over 25 years ago, the convenience of moving wind generation parks to the marine environment has been considered in order to achieve more favorable conditions for generation, with higher intensity wind flows, on average 30% higher than those achieved on the mainland. Among the best candidates that are experiencing development are marine renewable energy sources such as wind energy, wave energy, and energy extracted from marine currents. The objective of the EU Renewable Energy Directive is to ensure that by 2020, 20% of the energy consumed comes from renewable sources.
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