DocumentCode :
2845297
Title :
Learning form the Islay wave power plant
Author :
Whittaker, T.J.T.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Civil Eng., Queen´s Univ., Belfast
fYear :
1997
fDate :
35559
Firstpage :
42430
Lastpage :
42434
Abstract :
In 1985, the wave power team at the Queen´s University of Belfast commenced work on the prototype shoreline wave power plant on the Isle of Islay. A natural rock gully 4 m wide was selected in the south facing side of a headland to reduce the amount of construction and provide a partially sheltered environment in which to gain `sea experience´ and conduct fundamental research, During 1988, a concrete plenum chamber 4 m wide, 9 m long and 9.7 m high was constructed and the pneumatic power output monitored for two years using a simple orifice. Finally, in May 1991, the plant was fully commissioned with the installation of the mechanical electrical plant and connection to the electrical distribution grid. The plant comprised a 1.2 m diameter biplane Wells turbine direct coupled to a 75 kW wound rotor induction motor operating as a generator above its synchronous speed of 1500 RPM. The design, construction and subsequent operation of the wave power plant has provided a significant insight into the feasibility of wave power conversion. The development of wave power plant poses a significant design challenge for civil, mechanical and electrical engineers. The plant must withstand the immense forces imposed during storms yet efficiently convert the slow cyclic motion of waves into a useful energy source such as electricity and do so at a mice competitive with other forms of generation. The step from the laboratory to prototype installations is considerable and was undoubtedly underestimated at the outset of the project
Keywords :
wave power plants; 1.2 m; 4 m; 75 kW; 9 m; 9.7 m; Islay wave power plant; UK; biplane Wells turbine; concrete plenum chamber; construction; design; electrical distribution grid; operating experience; projects; wave power conversion; wound rotor induction generator;
fLanguage :
English
Publisher :
iet
Conference_Titel :
EU's Initiatives in Satellite Communications - fixed and Broadcast (Digest No.: 1997/156), IEE Colloquium on
Conference_Location :
London
Type :
conf
DOI :
10.1049/ic:19970557
Filename :
640361
Link To Document :
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