Nature has given us so muchEnergy, such as light energy andWind energy, in photovoltaicsSolarwithWind powerIt has been widely used in the industry. However, despite the existence of waves as a more powerful hydro energy, we have not established a similar hydroelectric power industry. However, the emergence of a Finnish start-up that could change this history, having successfully invented a new technology for generating electricity from wave energy, which it named "Wave Wheel". This technique is better thanWind energy7 times more powerful, one small unit can provide hundreds of homesElectricity。Aw-Energy's founder, Rano Koivusari, was a diver who, while diving, was inspired by the power of the waves and began research into wave generation technology. Through years of hard work, they have succeeded in developing the wave wheel, a device that can efficiently use the energy of ocean waves to generate electricity. The installation of wave turbines is simple and flexible, and can be deployed alone or in combination with offshore wind farms, with lower costs and more stable power generation capacity. However, while the future of wave energy technology looks promising, it still faces some challenges, such as the durability of equipment and the corrosion of materials in the marine environment. Therefore, it is necessary to make wave energy generation the third large-scale useClean energy, further research and development are needed.
As a kind of water energy resource endowed by nature, wave energy has great potential for development due to its strong and persistent energy. and with light energyWind energyIn contrast, wave energy is denser, more stable, and can be used around the clock. According to statistics, about 70% of the world's surface is covered by oceans, and the energy of ocean waves is equivalent to that of the whole worldEnergyHundreds of times more consumed. Therefore, if you can make the most of the energy of the waves, it will be rightClean energyhas an important impact.
However, to date, the wave energy industry has not been like thisWind energywithSolarThe power generation industry has developed widely. This is mainly due to the fact that in the past few decades, relatively little investment has been made in the research and development of wave energy generation technology. In addition, in technology andEconomyThere are many challenges, such as high equipment costs, low reliability, and adaptability to the marine environment.
However, with the continuous advancement of science and technology and the rightRenewable energyAs demand increases, people are beginning to pay attention to the potential of wave energy generation. The emergence of AW-Energy provides new opportunities for the research and application of wave energy power generation technology. The wave wheel device they developed can not only efficiently use the energy of ocean waves, but also have low cost and high reliability, which brings new possibilities for the development of wave energy power generation industry.
1. The working principle of the wave wheel device
A wave wheel is a device that uses the energy of ocean waves to generate electricity, and its working principle is similar to that of windTurbines。The wave wheel is mainly composed of a generator and a force take-off plate (PTO). The force take-off plate is fixed to the platform of the device and is driven by the force of the waves that swing back and forth in the waterhydraulicRod-pushedhydraulicThe oil pump works and will be the wavesEnergy conversionfor electrical energy. A complete wave wheel system typically consists of multiple wave wheel units that can be flexibly deployed and connected as needed.
2. The characteristics of the wave wheel device
1) High energy density: compared toWind energywithSolar, the density of wave energy is higher, and there is a more stable supply. Wave wheels harness the powerful energy of ocean waves and can provide a ratio in an area of equal sizeWind powerMoreElectricityOutput.
2) All-weather use: withSolarElectricity can only be generated during the dayWind energyIn contrast to the limitation that power generation can only be generated when the wind is blowing, wave turbine power generation has the characteristics of all-weather use. The energy of the waves is always present and can be stablyElectricityThe network provides continuousClean energy
3) Simple and flexible deployment of equipment: The installation of the wave wheel device is relatively simple, and the platform can be sunk into the seabed and anchored by tugboat. Since the strongest wave energy is usually at a depth of 8-20 meters in the sea, this is also a common deployment depth for wave turbines. In addition, wave turbines can be deployed alone or in combination with offshore wind farms to make the most of marine resources.
4) Environmentally friendly and sustainable: The wave wheel device operates below the sea surface, avoiding visual interference to the natural landscape. In addition,hydraulic, mechanical andElectricalThe system is designed to be completely sealed, avoiding noise and pollution to marine life and the environment.
1. Durability and corrosion problems
Despite its many advantages in the field of wave power generation, the wave turbine still faces some challenges. One of the main problems is the durability of the plant and its corrosion to the marine environment. Due to the variety of salts in seawater, the material of the unit is susceptible to corrosion and erosion, which can affect its service life and performance. Therefore, further research and development of more corrosion-resistant materials are needed to improve the durability of the device.
2. Economic feasibility and cost issues
In addition to durability issues, wave energy technologyEconomyFeasibility is also an important consideration. Although AW-Energy claims its averageEnergycost than offshoreWind energyLower, but there is still a need to further reduce equipment costs and O&M costs to improve the competitiveness of wave energy technology.
However, despite some challenges, the future of wave energy technology is still promising. With the pairRenewable energyWith the increasing demand and the continuous advancement of technology, people's attention and investment in wave energy power generation are gradually increasing. It is believed that in the near future, with the further development of technology and the further reduction of costs, wave energy power generation will become an important oneClean energyOne of them, and inRenewable energyplay an important role in the market.
Wave energy is a project with great potentialClean energytechnology, with high energy density, all-weather use, simple and flexible equipment, etc. The wave wheel unit developed by the Finnish company AW-Energy brings new hope for development in this field. Although there are still some challenges to the technology of wave energy, such as durability and cost, with the continuous development of technology and science, it is believed that wave power generation is expected to become the third large-scale useClean energy, rightRenewable energyto make an important contribution to the development.