Thesis for the Degree of Bachelor Survey of Wave Energy and Matured Wave Energy Technology

Thesis for the degree of bachelor Survey of Wave Energy and matured Wave Energy Technology Tuva Garbom Sørbotten May 2020 Oppgavens tittel: Target date: 22.05.20 Undersøkelse av Bølgekraft og modnet Updated target date: 29.05.20 Bølgekraftteknologi Project title: Number of pages: 46 Survey of Wave Energy and matured Number of appendices: 9 Wave Energy Technology Participants: Bachelor's degree of Renewable En- ergy Tuva Garbom Sørbotten Faculty of Engineering Department of Energy and Process Engi- neering Main supervisor: Co supervisor: H˚avard Karoliussen Johannes Falnes [email protected] [email protected] 92295082 91114619 Project sponsor: Supervisor from project sponsor: Equinor Emil Edwin [email protected] 90973528 Project number: Supervisor substitute: FEN3001-2004 Alejandro Oyarce Barnett [email protected] Preface This bachelor concludes my enrollment at the engineering bachelor Renewable Energy at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Renewable Energy is a part of the Faculty of Engineering and the Department of Energy and Process Engineering. This bachelor offered the opportunity for me to delve into a subject which I find most interesting - the energy potential of the oceans. My main supervisor, H˚avard Karoliussen, made a great effort in making it possible for me to write about this subject. I have always found it interesting how such a big part of our planet is covered by water, yet there are no big commercialised way of exploiting the energy it possesses. This opened my eyes for wave energy, and this bachelor was an opportunity to look for some answers. The purpose of this bachelor were to investigate how mature the current wave energy technologies were, and if they were or could be competitive with integrated energy sources. I would like to thank my co supervisor from Equinor, Emil Edwind, for the interest and encouragement. Foremost, I would like to thank Johannes Falnes for invaluable help and insight - being a source of knowledge and experience. Finally, I would like to thank Alejandro Oyarce Barnett for jumping in as a supervisor in the last weeks of my bachelor, when H˚avard went on sick leave. He has offered close supervision and excellent guidance and feedback throughout. Trondheim, 29th of May, 2020 i Abstract The purpose of this bachelor was to convey a survey to understand how mature the wave energy technology has become, and to review if the technology is currently competitive. The main part of the bachelor has been a literary study to find out what has been done up till now. This turned out to be highly dependent on getting in touch with the right people, in order to get at hold of relevant theory. The bachelor presents five wave energy technologies considered as promising. The results of this bachelor shows a cost comparison of these technologies and other energy sources, and examines the influence of the learning effect on the presented technologies. The conclusion found in this bachelor is that the wave energy technology are well-tested and functional in relation to producing electricity, and delivering this to the grid. Fur- thermore, it is concluded to be promising for the technology to move into niche markets, such as remote locations and locations without grid connection. Even if there is not found indications of wave energy technology being competitive on the today's market in this bachelor thesis, it is shown that the technology is technically mature. New scenarios of the market readiness could be achievable through substantial investments in order to reduce CapEx or changes in legislature and incentives based on the climate issue. ii Abbreviations: AC Alternating current CapEx Capital Expenditure DC Direct current EMEC The European Marine Energy Centre IEA The International Energy Agency IRENA The International Renewable Energy Agency LA Line Absorber LCOE Levelized Cost of Energy NVE The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate OpEx Operational Expenditure OWC Oscillating Water Column OWSC Oscillating Wave Surge Converter PA Point Absorber PTO Power Take Off QPA Quasi-Point Absorber SWH Significant wave height WEC Wave energy converter Glossary: Capture width The length of wavefront which has been totally captured by WEC. Diffraction When ocean waves spread out on the far side of openings and bend around obstacles. Heave Motion along the z-axis. Number 3 in figure 2.3. Pitch Motion around the y-axis. Number 5 in figure 2.3. Roll Motion around the x-axis. Number 4 in figure 2.3. Surge Motion along the x-axis. Number 1 in figure 2.3. Sway Motion along the y-axis. Number 2 in figure 2.3. Yaw Motion around the z-axis. Number 6 in figure 2.3. iii Symbol Unit of measurement Description Aparallel Reliability of components in parallel. Aseries Reliability of components in series. g m=s2 The gravitational constant. H m Wave height. Hs m Significant wave height(SWH). J kW/m Wave energy. k The number of components which at least has to work in a k- of n-structure. p Reliability of individual components in k- of n-structure. Ps Reliability of k- of n-structure. T s Wave period. x Component in reliability network. η Efficiency. ρ kg=m3 Density of sea water. iv Contents Preface i Abstract ii Glossary and list of symbols iii List of Equations vi List of Figures vi List of Tables vii 1 Introduction 1 2 Theory 3 2.1 Introductory to wave energy theory . 3 2.2 Principles of wave energy capture . 5 2.3 Wave Energy Converters . 7 2.3.1 Attenuator . 9 2.3.2 Point absorber . 10 2.3.3 Oscillating wave surge converter . 11 2.3.4 Oscillating water column . 12 2.3.5 Overtopping/Terminator device . 13 2.3.6 Submerged pressure differential . 13 2.3.7 Bulge wave . 14 2.3.8 Rotating mass . 14 2.4 Generating electricity . 15 2.4.1 Reliability . 17 2.5 Wave technology . 19 2.5.1 Lifesaver . 19 2.5.2 Pelamis . 22 2.5.3 Langlee Robusto . 24 2.5.4 Waveboost . 26 2.5.5 Wave Dragon . 28 3 Method 30 4 Results and discussion 31 4.1 Market considerations . 31 v 4.2 Financial perspective of presented WECs . 34 4.3 Learning curves . 41 5 Conclusion 46 6 Bibliography 47 Appendices i A List of large-scaled tested WECs i B Calculations of learning curve effect on Lifesaver v C Calculations of learning curve effect on Lifesaver with several learning rates vi D Calculations to make costs of energy comparable viii E Graphical comparison of costs with learning rate 16.5% ix List of Equations 1 Wave energy equation, linear theory . 3 2 Total efficiency . 7 3 Reliability for components in series . 17 4 Reliability for components in parallel . 18 5 Reliability for components in a k- of n-structure . 18 List of Figures 2.1 Wave height at Sleipner A 18.02.2020, [35]. 4 2.2 Rayleigh distribution of wave heights[13]. 4 2.3 The six modes of motion of a rigid body [3]. 5 2.4 Illustration of theoretical complete absorption [3]. 6 2.5 Schematic principle of extracting wave energy [17]. 7 2.6 The Pelamis P1A-002 on site in Portugal[8]. 10 2.7 Illustration of an example of a point absorber[1]. 11 2.8 Illustrates Nodding Duck from the side(a) and as an array(b) [13]. 12 2.9 Illustrates the Limpet by Voith Hydro Wavegen[13]. 12 2.10 Illustrates how the overtopping technology of Wave Dragon works[31]. 13 vi 2.11 Hydraulic PTO-system[13]. 16 2.12 Reliability network[4]. 17 2.13 Lifesaver [14]. 19 2.14 Specifications of the Lifesaver [24]. 20 2.15 Topology of the grid connected system of the Lifesaver [14]. 21 2.16 Principal sketch of the PTO of the Lifesaver [14]. 22 2.17 The joint and the PTO-system of Pelamis P2[8]. 23 2.18 Comparison of efficiency between P1 and P2[8]. 24 2.19 Recording of absorbed power and outgoing electrical power of the Pelamis P1[8]. 24 2.20 The Langlee Wave Power's Wave Energy Converter[28]. 25 2.21 The PTO-system of the Langlee Wave Power's WEC[28]. 26 2.22 The principal schematic of the CorPower Ocean's WEC [15]. 27 2.23 The main structural elements of the Wave Dragon, in meters[7]. 28 4.1 The global weighted average total installed costs and project percentile ranges, 2010-2018[18] . 32 4.2 The LCOE for projects and global weighted average values, 2010-2022[18] 33 4.3 LCOE for different locations and device rating for a 20MW array[15] . 37 4.4 Learning curve of Lifesaver. 41 4.5 Graphical representation of learning curve effect with different technologies 42 4.6 Learning curve of Lifesaver with different learning rates. 43 B.1 Snapshot of excel sheet. v C.1 Graphical representation of learning curve effect with several learning rates vi C.2 Graphical representation of learning curve effect on the Lifesaver with several learning rates and comparison with other renewable energies. vii E.1 Graphical representation of learning curve effect with different technologies ix List of Tables 2.1 Key parameters of the Lifesaver [14]. 20 2.2 Key factors of Langlee Wave Power's Wave Energy Converter[23]. 25 4.1 LCOE in the energy sector[34] . 32 4.2 System cost for Lifesaver and estimates for next generation device [14]. 34 4.3 Key performance indicators[14]. 35 4.4 Overview of presented technology with financial perspective. 38 4.5 Comparable numbers of cost of energy of different energy sources[18, 34] 39 A.1 List of WECs having undergone large scale testing up to 2001[16].

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