The purpose was to determine which type of ocean wave energy converter produced the most power from simulated ocean waves.  They will consist of an oscillating water column, a ramped surge device, and a nodding float.  I became interested when I discovered the force of waves crashing onto the shore.  The information gained from this experiment will give people a better understanding on how important alternate energy sources are.  Earth is made up of seventy-percent water and oceans  will never run out of waves.

My hypothesis is the oscillating water column will create the most power, the ramped surge device will create a little less power, and the nodding float will create the least amount of power.

The manipulated variable was the three different ocean wave energy converters.  The responding variable was the amount of power produced.   I tested amps and volts.  To measure the responding variable I will use a volt meter and an amp meter.  I measured the amount of power by multiplying the volts and amps.   Constants in this experiment were the same type of motor to conduct electricity, size of simulated waves, scale of devices, and methods for measuring the devices.

The results supported my hypothesis and they were suitable for harnessing power from ocean waves.  I wonder what would happen if the devices were connected to a circuit that generated resistance.  Steps for creating a further investigation would be using a larger wave pool to generate accurate waves and creating more devices.

The purpose of this experiment is to determine which type of ocean wave energy converter produces the most power from simulated ocean waves.  The different ocean wave energy converters will consist of an oscillating water column, a ramped surge device, and a nodding float.

I became interested in this idea when I went to the ocean and the force of waves crashing onto the shore amazed me.  I wanted to know if all this kinetic energy could be put to use, so I did some research.  I found out that many countries have been experimenting with ideas involving harnessing the power from ocean waves for many years.  Most of the information was from European countries and was very scientific and complicated to understand.  There were many different types of devices, but they did not state which one was the best.  I took this idea and turned it into an experiment to determine which type of ocean wave energy converter was the most efficient.

The information gained from this experiment will give people a better understanding on how important alternate energy sources are.  Ocean wave energy is an important energy source because the Earth is made up of seventy percent water and ocean waves will never run out of waves.  Since there are many different designs for harnessing wave power this experiment will show which type of device works the best under controlled circumstances.  By determining which ocean wave energy converter works best people will know how the different types compare to each other.   The three ocean wave energy converters are very simple to understand and people will be able to learn how they transfer the force form ocean waves into energy.

My hypothesis is that oscillating water column will have the highest output of volts and medium level of amps.  The ramped surge device will have lower output of volts and higher level of amps compared to the oscillating water column. The nodding float will have very low output of volts and amps and I think it was hardly produce enough energy to be read by the meters.  The oscillating water column will provide many revolutions in the motor, but they will be inconsistent and will not create a steady flow of electricity.  The ramped surge device will provide a persistent flow of electricity, but there will not be as many revolutions in the motor compared to the oscillating water column.  The nodding float will hardly make one motor revolution for every wave and the electricity will not be constant.  The oscillating water column will produce the greatest amount of power, the ramped surge device will have a lower level of power, and the nodding float will create the least amount of power.

I base my hypothesis on examining the different ocean wave energy converters that I will make.  Each ocean wave energy converter device has its on purpose in harnessing power from ocean waves, so it is hard to make an accurate guess to determine which device works the best.  The efficiency of the transformation from pneumatic energy to mechanical energy to electrical energy helped establish my hypothesis.  I determined the output of the voltage by comparing how fast the motor will spin from one wave.  The faster the motor spins the more volts it will produce.  I determined the output of the amps by comparing how long the duration of the spinning motor would be.  The longer the duration is the greater level of amps would be produced.  The amount of power was determined by multiplying the amps and volts. The research I have gained helped me determine the mechanical differences between the three different ocean wave energy converters.  I can also base my hypothesis on the different types of device currently used because if it is good enough for large energy corporations, the design should be fairly efficient.  Oscillating water columns were the first devices to be invented and used around the world.  Ramped surge devices are commonly used and they have been fairly effective.  Nodding floats are very controversial and they need a lot of advancement to be proven effective.

The manipulated variable is the different ocean wave energy converters.  There is a vertical oscillating water column that uses upward and downward motion of the waves to compress air and turn a propeller to create energy.  A ramped surge device will use the horizontal force of the waves to push water up a ramp and collect in a reservoir where it will drain onto a waterwheel creating energy. A nodding float that uses the horizontal force of the wave to rotate a series of specially designed floats on a shaft to turn the motor.

The responding variable is how much power was produced by each of the ocean wave energy converters.  I will measure the peak outputs for all the devices from many waves in amps on a milliamp (mA) scale and volts on millivolt (mV) scale.  I will compare how much potential power each ocean wave energy converter produces.

To measure the responding variable I would connect the electrical motor to a volt meter and an amp meter.  One peak measurement from will be taken for each wave created for all three devices.  To measure the amount of power in Watts I will multiply the amps and volts.

The constants in this study were:

• Same type of motor to conduct the electricity
• The size of the simulated waves
• The intervals of the simulated waves
• Depth of water in the wave pool for the tests
• How the waves are created and apparatus used to produce the waves
• The scale of the ocean wave energy converters
• The same volt meter for measuring millivolts
• The same amp meter for measuring milliamps
• Methods and materials for measuring the electrical output
• When the electrical output is measured
• How long the electrical output is measured
• How the mechanical energy is transferred into electrical energy
• Method to determine the amount of power.

QUANTITY              OBJECT
1                               Propeller from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Submarine
3                               1.5 - 3v DC motor from Radio Shack Model 273-258
1                               Utility knife
2                               Medium size hose clamps
4                               16.5 cm of metal wire
1                               Ruler
1                               Pair of wire cutters
3                               Plastic wire connectors
1                               Fluke III True RMS Multimeter (Volts)
1                               Globe EDM-05 Amp Meter
1                               Large utility sink
1                               Rubbermade Slim Fit 63.3 L storage container
1                               8 cm by 3.5 cm by 24 cm block of Styrofoam
1                               Cement cinder block
1                               Hose connected to a supply of water
2                              Jumper leads (positive and negative)
1                               Rubber hammer
1                               2 cm diameter quark
1                               25 cm wooden dowel
1                               60 cm wooden dowel
1                               Metal bread pan 24 cm by 14 cm by 7 cm
1                               Electric drill
1                               381/800 cm (3/16 in) drill bit
1                               180 cm by 40 cm piece of tin
Assortment                Nails
1                               Metal hammer
1                               Funnel
1                               Roll of tape
2                               2 liter plastic soda bottle

I. Construction of Oscillating Water Column
   1. Rinse, remove label, and remove plastic ring around the spout from the two liter plastic soda
       bottle.
   2. Cut the bottom off the bottle with the hobby knife where the bottom of the label would be.
   3. Trim one end of the wire connector with the hobby knife so it fits tightly into the propeller.
   4. Connect the other end of the wire connector to the gear on the electric motor.
   5. Hold the motor and blow on the propeller to see if it spins straight.
   6. Take the metal wire and cut four 16.5 cm pieces with the wire cutters.
   7. Measure 3.5 cm and bend it to a 90° angle.
   8. Measure 2.5 cm and bend it to a 90° angle in the opposite direction.
   9. Measure 4.5 cm and bend it to a 90° angle in the same direction.
 10. Measure 2.5 cm and bend it to a 90° angle in the same direction.
 11. Measure 3.5 cm and bend it to a 90° angle in the opposite direction.
 12. See figure 1 for a diagram of the wire motor holder.
 13. Put a hose clamp on the spout of the bottle and tighten it with the flat head screwdriver, but
       leave a gap large enough for the metal wires to fit.
 14. Arrange the four pieces of bent metal wire beneath the hose clamp.  There should be a piece of
       wire every 90° around the spout.
 15. When all the pieces are in place tighten them firmly so they cannot move.
 16. Take the engine and hold it in place between the top of the four wires connected to the bottle.
 17. Place the other hose clamp around the wires and tighten firmly so the motor will not move.
 18. If necessary bend the wires so the motor is perpendicular to the spout and give both clamps a
       final tighten.

II. Constructing the Ramped Surge Device
    A. Waterwheel
         1. Rinse and remove label from a two liter plastic soda bottle.
         2. Cut the top and bottom off with the hobby knife,  it should be a cylinder.
         3. Cut two strip the length of the cylinder that are 4 cm wide.
         4. Cut five 4 cm by 4 cm squares out of the strips.
         5. Take the hobby knife and cut five equally spaced grooves around the quark 1 cm deep.
         6. Push the fins into the groves so all the fins face the same direction.
         7. Drill a 381/800 cm (3/16 in) hole down the center of the quark.
         8. Place one end of the 25 cm wooden dowel all the way into the quark.
         9. Attach the other end to a wire connector.
       10. Attach the other end of the wire connector to the gear on the motor.

    B. Ramp
         1. Take the piece of tin and fold it in half and it should be 40 cm by 90 cm.
         2. At one end make a mark 5 cm from the edge on both sides.
         3. Make a mark 5 cm on the edge from the bottom on both sides.
         4. Align the both marks on one side and fold it to a right angle to make tapered wall.
         5. Repeat the previous step for the other side.
         6. From the very bottom to the first mark bend it to a right angle to make a wall.
         7. Repeat the previous step for the other side.
         8. At crease intersections the tin will buckle so make an incision with the tin snips and  flatten it
             out with the rubber hammer.
         9. At the very top where the walls are close together bend the tin so the water will drain down.
       10. Take the rubber hammer and flatten out any uneven part on the ramp.
       11. Place the ramp in the wave pool to make sure it fits properly, if it does not fit tightly   make
             the correct adjustments.
       12. Tape the funnel to the end of the ramp.

   C. Storage Compartment and Placement of Waterwheel
       1. Take a nail and make nine holes in the bottom of the bread pan.
       2. Attach the Styrofoam wedge on the bottom of the pan and nail it to the end of the table.
       3. Make two “L” shaped platforms to hold the waterwheel.
       4. Cut two slits  wide enough for the rod.
       5. Nail the platforms to the side of the table just below the water storage compartment.
       6. Put the waterwheel in the slots and secure the engines nails.
       7. See figure 2 for a diagram.

III. Constructing of Nodding Float Device
      1. Cut the 8 cm by 3.5 cm by 24 cm into three congruent rectangles.
      2. Take a marker and draw a tear shaped figure on the ends of all the blocks.  See figure 3 for a
          template.
      3. Shave all three blocks into the tear shape of the cement cinder block.
      4. Examine the floats and make sure all the blocks look the same.  If not trim the appropriate
         ones.
      5. Sharpen the one of the 60 cm wooden dowel with the hobby knife.
      6. Stick the dowel through the center of the widest part of all three floats.
      7. Space each float 2 cm from each other and 5 cm apart from the walls of the wave pool.
      8. Drill a 381/800 cm (3/16 in) hole in the wave tank 10 cm from the top and 26 cm from the
          from the right.  See figure 4 from a template.
      9. Put the wooden dowel in the holes inside the wave pool.
    10. Attach a wire connector to one end of the dowel.
    11. Attach the other end of the wire connector to the gear on the electric motor.
    12. Add Styrofoam block under the motor so the motor is in the appropriate position.
    13. Detach everything from the wave pool.

IV. Constructing the Wave Making Apparatus
      1. Cut the wave maker apparatus out of the 50 cm by 21.5 cm of foam board using the template
          in figure 5.
      2. Test it in the wave pool so you can make accurate waves.
      3. Use short, but strong thrusts to create the waves.

V. Testing the Oscillating Water Column
     1. Fill the sink up with water so it is 10 cm deep.
     2. Attach the positive wire to the positive clip and the negative wire to the negative clip on the
         motor.
     3. Connect the other end of the positive wire to the 50 mA receptacle and the other end of the
         negative wire to negative receptacle on the amp meter.
     4. Grasp the spout of the bottle firmly with one hand so it is perpendicular to the water in the
         sink.
     5. Thrust the bottle down 10 cm or when it hits the bottom, record the output, and raise the
         bottle every five seconds.
     6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 nine times to create ten simulated waves.
     7. Repeat step 3, but use the volt meter and attach the positive wire to the volt receptacle and the
         negative wire to the negative receptacle.
     8. Repeat steps 4 and 5 ten times to create ten simulated waves.

VI. Testing the Ramped Surge Device
      1. Fill the wave pool with water so the depth is 10 cm.
      2. Place the ramp on the wave pool so the end of the funnel is just above the water storage
          compartment fins.
      3. Align the waterwheel under the water storage compartment so the water will drain onto the
          edge of the fins.
      4. Make sure the wooden dowel is straight and is not rubbing on any excess Styrofoam and
          check if the motor is securely fastened on the Styrofoam block.
      5. Make a practice wave to make sure the water flow is undisturbed and the waterwheel spins
          properly.
      6. Attach the positive wire to the positive clip and the negative wire to the negative clip on the
          motor.
      7. Connect the other end of the positive wire to the 50 mA receptacle and the other end of the
          negative wire to negative receptacle on the amp meter.
     8. Generate a 10 cm wave every five seconds and record the peak output.
     9. Repeat step 8 nine times to create a total of ten simulated waves.
    10. Repeat step 7, but use the volt meter and attach the positive wire to the volt receptacle and
          the negative wire to the negative receptacle.
    11. Repeat step 8 ten times to create a total of ten simulated waves.

VII. Testing the Nodding Floats
       1. Fill the wave pool with water so the depth is 10 cm
       2. Insert the dowel with the floats in the two holes.
       3. Attach the dowel to the motor on the Styrofoam platform.
       4. Attach the positive wire to the positive clip and the negative wire to the negative clip on the
           motor.
       5. Connect the other end of the positive wire to the 50 mA receptacle and the other end of the
           negative wire to negative receptacle on the amp meter.
       6. Generate a 10 cm wave every five seconds and record the peak output.
       7. Repeat step 6 nine times to create a total of ten simulated waves.
       8. Repeat step 5, but use the volt meter and attach the positive wire to the volt receptacle and
           the negative wire to the negative receptacle.
       9. Repeat step 6 ten times to create a total of ten simulated waves.

       This research report about ocean wave power will consist of information about the benefits, environmental impact, history, and advancement/explorations of harnessing electrical energy from the power of ocean waves.  Information about the different types of devices that create the energy, such as surge, oscillating water column, nodding floats.  It will also cover generators and turbines, renewable energy, and the creation and destruction of ocean waves.

        Seventy-percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with oceans.  The oceans absorb and store the heat from the sun.  The heat that creates the wind that travels across the surface generates waves.  There are machines that extract this energy and turn it into a convenient form of energy called electricity.  When a wave 25 meters wide and one meter high crashes onto a beach, it looses around 125,000 joules of potential energy.  If the power of that wave was change into electrical energy, it could provide the electricity to run a small lamp for an hour.  A five-kilometer beach can provide about ten billion joules per hour or 2.5 megawatts of wave power.  Around 500 homes could be run on the energy created from the wave on a 5 km beach.  There are over 100 designs of ocean wave energy converters that are based on a couple of principles being used and developed all around the world.

        The power from ocean waves is free and renewable energy resource, but the devices are expensive to build and maintain.  Wave energy devices have positive and negative impacts on their surrounding environment.  They provide sheltered underwater habitats for sea creatures and protect the shore from erosion caused by the force of the colliding waves.  The turbines inside of these devices are noisy and may disrupt the environment under the water.  Ocean wave converters may alter ocean currents, which some fish like the salmon need to find their spawning and feeding grounds.  Fishing boats and cargo ships would have to navigate around the devices that may lead to longer routes and collisions.  Some people think that they will be eye shores because they might block the scenic view of the ocean, but most of the devices will be located far out in the ocean.   Today wave energy devices are not very cost effective and they are only available for countries with large budgets for alternative energy.  In the future wave energy will advance and be available to everyone.  Wave energy could benefit island nations in the South Pacific because the energy producing machines could provide electricity.  Ocean waves are very abundant in these regions and might be the only source of energy.  It may also free developing nations from their dependence of oil.

        Renewable and alternate energy sources are very important as we step into the future.  Natural resources are rapidly decreasing and when they are out, people will have to turn to other sources of energy to survive.  Fossil fuels have been used to hundreds of years, but they take million of years to make.  Fossil fuels are in limited supply and cause a lot of pollution.  Three fourths of the world’s electricity is generated by power plants that run on fossil fuels or nuclear power.  Nuclear energy is expensive to use safely and the waste is dangerous and difficult to store.  Renewable energy sources come from nature and these sources will always be around.  Alternative energies are cheap, successful, and environmental friendly

        Japan was the first country to create a successful oscillating water column to power a light in a navigation buoy.  In Tofteshallen, Norway they created the first ocean wave energy device that concentrated on converting the ocean’s power into electricity that can produce 500 kW of power.   Since 1799, man has had the idea to capture the energy from ocean waves, but only in the last decades of the 20th century have devices have been developed to harness the power if the sea.  European and Asian countries have and will be dominating the advancement of ocean power.  Some companies are creating devices that consist of very complicated hydraulic systems that maximize wave energy.  Japan was developed a traveling ocean wave energy converter called the Mighty Whale.  It is shaped like a whale and it travels with ocean currents.

        The force of ocean waves can create enormous amounts of energy if it is captured properly.  The sound and sight of gigantic waves from a brewing storm crashing into a cliff is a phenomenal experience.  For years scientists and engineers have been trying to capture this energy.  Many experiments led to successful devices that harness energy from the ocean waves.
European countries were the first to establish the idea of harnessing energy from ocean waves.  When the wind blows waves are created across the surface of the water, but waves are present when the wind is not blowing.  Even though there are many different types of devices that convert ocean waves into energy they all have a turbine or generator that is connected to a electrical storage unit.
        Building ocean wave energy converters are complicated because they must be strong enough to withstand the constant battering of the wind and waves, but some devices have to be light enough to float.  The conversion of potential and kinetic energy of waves into electricity produces wave energy.  The devices that produce energy from ocean waves have been designed to operate either near the shoreline of offshore in deeper waters.  Devices in deeper water produce more electricity because the waves are much larger than the ones near the shore.  Wave and tidal climate heavily influence Wave energy devices that are located in shallow waters.  The wave power in shallow waters can vary from year to year.  Waves in shallow water do not have the bobbing motion of deep-sea waves because the waves start to break when the gets close to the shore.

Oscillating Water Columns
        Oscillating water columns moves water up and down inside a vertical cylinder when the waves pass by.  The oscillating water column is one of the most successful ocean wave energy converters.  They are the most modern wave energy converters and they are also known as OWC.  The water moving up and down inside acts like a piston inside a cylinder, moving the air forward and back through a turbine connected to a generator.  The air inside can only move one direction at a time through the machine.  OWC are built in many different shapes, sizes, and designs.  Large ones are anchored out at sea in the ocean swells.  Medium ones are placed between the shore and far of the coast.  Some are even built on shore in skinny tapered channels that utilize the wave power to its full potential.

How a Oscillating Water Column Works
1. A wave comes in contact with the ocean wave energy converter.
2. Water is pushed up the cylinder.
3. The air inside of the cylinder compresses creates pneumatic energy.
4. The compressed air moves through the propeller and creates mechanical energy.
5. The mechanical energy from the spinning propeller is transferred into electrical energy through a generator.
6. The energy from the generator is stored in a battery or sent through wires to a housing plant.
7. The process repeats itself and continues 24 hours a day.

How a Horizontal Oscillating Water Column
Works

1. A wave comes in contact with the wave energy converter.
2. Water is pushed up the vent
3. The air inside of the vent compresses and creates pneumatic energy.
4. The compressed air moves the propeller and creates mechanical energy.
5. The mechanical energy from the spinning propeller is transferred into electrical energy though a generator.
6. The energy from the generator is stored in a battery or sent through wires to a housing plant
7. The process repeats itself and continues 24 hours a day

Nodding Floats
        Nodding floats are devices that depend on the rolling motion of the waves to produce energy.  They are arranged in a series of flat and curved floats that are connected or independently acting like hinges.  Oil is pumped through hydraulic motors that drive generators when the floats move up and down on the surface of the ocean.  Nodding floats are anchored behind the point where the waves break, about 100 meters to 3 kilometers depending on the location.  There is a device called to “nodding duck” that consisted of a series of large flaps shaped like airplane wings.  The flaps are commonly called ducks.  They are joined together by a central shaft floating in coastal waters.  Every time a passes the ducks they would bob.  The bobbing motion turned the central shaft that is connected to a turbine.

How a Nodding Float Works
1. The duck rises with the wave
2. When the wave passes under it the duck levels out, and swings down.
3. This motion turns the central shaft connected to a turbine.
4. Every wave makes each duck go through this process 24 hours a day.

        A nodding duck system proportional to large ocean swells would be quiet an architectural and structural accomplishment.  The electricity produced by this system would never supply more than a fraction of any country’s needs.  A nodding duck system would be favorable in the wave conditions in Japan, Canada, the USA, Ireland, and Great Britain, but only if advancements in this design are discovered.  The concept of nodding floats are new, like any other wave energy device they will advance and be more efficient in the future.

Surge Devices
        Surge devices are energy producing machines that are located on the shore.  This source of ocean wave energy is similar to hydroelectric generators on dams and lakes.  The wave flows up a tapered channel and flows into a holding reservoir.  At the bottom of the reservoir there is a pipe that moves the water through a turbine on its way out to the sea.  Cliffs and rock walls are great spots for using surge devices to produce electricity from ocean waves crashing with a strong force.

How a Surge Device Works.
1. A wave crashes into the device located on the shore or on a cliff.
2. The waves travels up the ramp.
3. The wave falls into the reservoir.
4. The reservoir fills up with water from a bunch of waves.
5. The water in the reservoir gets pushed through a tube into the turbine house.
6. The flowing water spins a turbine creating electricity.
7. The process repeats 24 hours a day.

        A turbine is a rotary machine that converts energy from moving steam, water, or gas into mechanical energy.  The basic structure of a turbine is wheel rotor with paddles, blades, propellers, or bucket arranged around the circumference of the device.  Then the fluid flows past the turbine making it spin and create energy.  The energy from the spinning wheel or rotor is transferred through a drive shaft to an electric generator or specialty machine.  Turbines are classified as hydraulic (water) turbines, steam turbines, or gas turbines. Today turbines connected to generators produces most of the world’s renewable electrical energy.
        The waterwheel is the oldest and simplest type of hydraulic turbine.  The waterwheel was used in Greece and subsequently adopted in most of ancient and medieval Europe for grinding grain.  A swiftly flowing stream was the main component in the production energy.  The flowing water turned a wheel with large horizontal paddles.  The wheel was connected to a shaft and turned gears to grind grain and later producing electricity.  As time went by waterwheels became outdated and they a hardly used to day.
        One type of generator creates energy by using coils of wire that are spun in a magnetic field.  A turbine-driven shaft provides the spinning motion of the wire coils.  When the shaft rotates, the magnetic field points in one direction and then another.  When the wire coils are closest to the two magnets it has the strongest electrical current.  As the shaft further, the electrical current drops to zero at the point where the wires are directly between the magnets.  The magnetic field reverses when the current increases in the opposite direction.
        An electric motor is a device that converts electrical energy into movement.  There are millions of electric motors ranging from toy cars to hybrid electric cars being used around the world.  Most motors have the magnets on the outside and the spinning coils of wire on the inside.  When an electrical current flows through the coil, the coil becomes magnetized.  The direction of the current changes and to coil goes in the opposite direction.  As longs as the current in the coils reverses every half-turn, the coils keeps turning around and it produces motion through a shaft or gears.  There are alternating currents (AC) and direct current (DC) in different types of motors.

        A wave starts out as simple up-and-down oscillations in the open sea powered by the wind.  The water moves in a circular motion as the wave advances and gets larger.  When the wave enter shallow water near the shore, the lower part of the wave is slowed down and the crest of the wave breaks.  Sending the wave crashing onto the shore.  The forward power of the wave pushes sand and gravel up the beach, the reverse power pulls it back down.  A wave colliding onto the shore at and angle drifts material down the beach.  This process is repeated 24 hours a day in a systematic pattern.  Waves still happen when the tide is out, but they crash onto the shore in a different spot.
        Waves that starts ten miles from shore, water depth of 200 feet, and a constant wind speed of 30 knots can create waves five feet, but if they start at 200 miles from shore and the same conditions, waves 15 feet are likely to occur.  Waves grow when there are turbulent fluctuations or variations of wind speed and differences in air pressure.  Waves have the power to carve out caves in rock cliffs and sculpt large rocks into small streamlined rocks.  The erosion from the waves can cause millions of dollars of coastal and structural damage.

Tidal Power
        Over 900 years ago the British, French, and Spanish used the tide for power.  They had storage ponds that were filled by the incoming tide and when low tide came the water was drained out and turned waterwheels as it drained out into the ocean.  Today the tide provides energy by placed dams and barrages on a river estuary.  There needs to be a large difference in the high and low tide water levels, so the estuary has to be wide and tapered.  The upward and downward movements of the seawater flow through the turbines, but the tide can only provide power for about ten hours each day.  Tidal barrages and dams disturb the wildlife and alter the balance of local ecosystems.

Ocean Thermal Power
        The first working ocean thermal energy converter was built in Cuba in 1930.  They utilize the differences in temperature between the warm surface water and the cold water about 1 km beneath the surface.  A low-boiling-point fluid vaporizes the surface water and the vapor powers a turbine.  The vapor condenses back into water and is pumped out from the bottom.  Ocean Thermal Energy Converters  (OTEC) are very efficient because much of the energy created has to be used to pump the cold water out of the system.  OTEC are still experimental, but advancements are rapidly being produced.

        Power produces from ocean waves may be the future for a reduction in the use of fossil fuels.  Seventy-percent of the world’s surface is covered with water.  Wave power if an important alternative and renewable resource that provides vast amounts of electricity without pollution and minimal environmental impact.  Waves will always be in the ocean so there is no risk of running out.  Waves are present in regions where there are not any sources of energy, so wave power could provide the greatly needed energy.  Although wave energy is not as cheap as fossil fuel power generation, but it is getting cheaper and will be around when the fossil fuels are gone.

The original purpose of this experiment was to determine which design of ocean wave energy converters produces the most power from simulated waves.  The different ocean wave energy converters consisted of an oscillating water column, a ramped surge device, and a nodding float.  The ocean wave energy converters are based on different design and they will produce different readings.  The devices were tested in a wave pool with artificial ocean waves.

The results of the experiment concluded that the different ocean wave energy converters produced different amounts of energy.  Each of the devices was proven successful in harnessing power from waves.  Each device had its own output based on the ocean wave energy converter’s design.  The oscillating water column created a considerable amount of energy.  It produced a high amount of voltage because there were many revolutions of the motor in the time period.  The amount of amps seemed reasonable because the motor created electricity in a short amount of time.  With the high level of amps and volts it created a large amount of power.  The short, but strong revolutions of the motor in an oscillating water column might be the reason they are used out in the ocean swells.  Oscillating water columns depend on the vertical movement of the ocean waves to produce energy. The energy produced by the ramped surge device was lower the oscillating water column.  It produced a lower level of voltage compared to the oscillating water column because there was not as many revolutions of the motor in the time period.  When the water would fall onto the waterwheel it would not spin very fast.  A lot of factors effected how fast the waterwheel spun. The amount of amps was very high compared to the oscillating water column because the motor created a substantial amount of electricity in a large amount of time.  Each wave would almost fill up the water reservoir so there would be a constant and steady flow of water to make the waterwheel spin longer. The ramped surge device had less power than the oscillating water column.  The medium strength, but long revolutions of the motor might be the reason why ramped surge devices are located near the shore to harness the raw power of the ocean waves.  Ramped surge devices depend on the horizontal movements of the waves. The nodding float came in dead last compared to the other ocean wave energy converters.  It had a very small level of volts and it barely made a reading on the volt meter.  The motor barley made a revolution for one simulated wave because the floats could not spin a full rotation.  The short revolution of the motor caused a very small amount of volts produced.  The level of amps was a little less than the oscillating water column because it created a long current that flowed in time period.  The rotation of the floats was faster than the other two ocean wave energy converters.  Due to the small amount of amps and volts the nodding float produced a very small amount of power.  The short and weak revolutions of the motor might be the reason why nodding float systems are placed in mid-waters because the waves are between swells and breaking waves.  Nodding floats depend on the vertical and horizontal movement of the ocean waves.  The ramped surge device produced almost five times more power than the nodding float.  The oscillating water column produced about twenty-percent more power than the ramped surge device.  Each ocean wave energy converter has its own purpose in harnessing power from ocean waves and they created different amounts of power.

              Oscillating Water Column         Ramped Surge Device         Nodding Float
              Milliamps Millivolts                   Milliamps Millivolts              Milliamps Millivolts
Wave 1       10         19.6                            15          8.1                          9           4.6
Wave 2       10         19.8                            18          8.6                          7           4.9
Wave 3       11         20.2                            20          7.9                          6           4.4
Wave 4       10         23.3                            21          8.0                          8           4.9
Wave 5         9         20.5                            19          7.9                          7           4.8
Wave 6       10         21.6                            18          6.9                          8           4.2
Wave 7       12         21.1                            21          8.3                          6           4.7
Wave 8       13         21.5                            26          9.2                          5           4.5
Wave 9       11         20.8                            25        10.5                          7           4.1
Wave 10     12         21.9                            24        10.2                          6           4.6
Average     9.8         21.0                            20           8.7                         7           4.6

My hypothesis was that oscillating water column would have the highest output of volts and medium level of amps.  The ramped surge device will have lower output of volts and higher level of amps compared to the oscillating water column. The nodding float will have a very low output of volts and amps.  I think it will barely produce enough energy to be read by the meters.  The oscillating water column will provide many revolutions in the motor, but they will be inconsistent and will not create a steady flow of electricity.  The ramped surge device will provide a persistent flow of electricity, but there will not be as many revolutions in the motor compared to the oscillating water column.  The nodding float will make barely one motor revolution for every wave and the electricity will not be constant.  The oscillating water column will produce the greatest amount of power, the ramped surge device will have a lower level of power, and the nodding float will create the least amount of power.

The results indicate that my hypothesis should be accepted because the results of my experiment supported my hypothesis.  The prediction of volts and amps of the oscillating water column, ramped surge device, nodding float were proven correct.  The prediction of the power output from the different ocean wave energy converters was proven correct.

Because of the results, I wonder if connecting the ocean wave energy converters to an electrical circuit with a light bulb that generated resistance would have affected my results.  If the shape and size of the simulated waves would have altered the results because each of the ocean eave energy converters was designed for a specific type of wave.  The oscillating water column was built for waves that have a greater vertical movement and I wonder what would happen if horizontal breaking waves were used.  I do not think the ramped surge device would work at all with vertical waves.  The nodding float could probably handle many different types of waves.  I wonder if different design of the oscillating water column, ramped surge device, and nodding float would have affected the amount of power produced.  There are many different designs for all three of the ocean wave energy converters and I wonder how different they are compared to the device that I constructed.  Maybe if the size of the devices were changed the results would have been different

If I were to conduct this project again I would have used a larger wave pool to generate longer and more accurate waves.  I would put the wave pool in an incline to simulate the rising of the ocean floor to create breaking waves.  Gears that transferred the mechanical energy to electrical energy would have been a great improvement.  Gears would provide more power with less work and would have made it easier to read the outputs of the devices.  If I had more time I would have used materials in my project that could be bought by everyone, instead of resulting to improvise with materials that I had around my house that probably couldn’t be bought.  I would have used more accurate devices for measuring the output.  The sudden burst of power made it difficult to read on the meters with a needle and a digital gauge.  If the meters recorded the highest peak in power would have made my results far more accurate because I would not have to concentrate more on recording the output instead of concentrating on making the waves.  I would have been nice to build more devices because it would allow for more specific results.  Building more designs of oscillating water columns, ramped surge devices, and nodding floats would have proven the differences in the designs.  This project creates a great opportunity to conduct continuation of the experiment.

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