Ocean Power Technologies: Proposed Wave Farm
Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) is proposing to develop the largest wave energy project in the world: a utility-scale, commercial wave farm approximately 2.7 miles off the coast of Coos Bay, Oregon. The wave park will employ up to 200 of OPT's next generation point absorber generators (PB500's, each rated at 500 kilowatt maximum sustained generating capacity); the system should produce nearly 275,000 megawatt hours of power annually. An submarine cable will connect the wave farm to the local power grid, providing enough power for 24,900 homes in the Pacific Northwest.
PB150 PowerBuoy
Dimensions shown in feet.
OPT's current point absorber generator is the PB150 PowerBuoy. The first of these generators was fabricated and installed off the eastern coast of Scotland in 2011; however, a second PB150 is being fabricated in Portland, Oregon to be installed near Reedsport in the near future. The current cost of a PB150 is approximately four million dollars.
The PB150 PowerBuoy uses dual hydraulic pistons connected to a float to push fluid through a turbine; this turbine spins a generator, which in turn creates electrical energy. The system is low maintenance, environmentally friendly, and requires no fossil fuels.
The PB150 PowerBuoy was designed to be employed in waters shallower than 180 feet. It reliably generates power in waves as low as three feet (and up to nearly 20 feet), and its three point mooring system ensures safety and stability in varying storm, tidal, and current conditions. PB150's can provide sustained maximum peak output of 150 kilowatts, with capacity factors ranging between 30%-45% depending on local conditions. Only approximately 30 feet of the PB150's 145 foot overall length protrudes above the waterline, and when arranged in arrays of two to three rows, the footprint of PB150 wave parks can be sufficiently minimized. Finally, all PowerBuoy's are fitted with fiber-optic communication and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems; furthermore, the use of OPT's proprietary Undersea Substation Pods allows up to ten PB150's to be connected to a single sea-to-shore transmission cable, reducing costs and construction time.
The PB150 achieved Lloyd's Register certification in 2011, which provides independent, third-party assurance of design and survivability in severe conditions.
The PB150 PowerBuoy uses dual hydraulic pistons connected to a float to push fluid through a turbine; this turbine spins a generator, which in turn creates electrical energy. The system is low maintenance, environmentally friendly, and requires no fossil fuels.
The PB150 PowerBuoy was designed to be employed in waters shallower than 180 feet. It reliably generates power in waves as low as three feet (and up to nearly 20 feet), and its three point mooring system ensures safety and stability in varying storm, tidal, and current conditions. PB150's can provide sustained maximum peak output of 150 kilowatts, with capacity factors ranging between 30%-45% depending on local conditions. Only approximately 30 feet of the PB150's 145 foot overall length protrudes above the waterline, and when arranged in arrays of two to three rows, the footprint of PB150 wave parks can be sufficiently minimized. Finally, all PowerBuoy's are fitted with fiber-optic communication and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems; furthermore, the use of OPT's proprietary Undersea Substation Pods allows up to ten PB150's to be connected to a single sea-to-shore transmission cable, reducing costs and construction time.
The PB150 achieved Lloyd's Register certification in 2011, which provides independent, third-party assurance of design and survivability in severe conditions.
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