SEMINAR REPORT

ON
PELAMIS WAVE ENERGY
CONVERTER

By
C.Adi kesava Reddy
18H51A0267
 ABOUT PELAMIS

The Peaamis Wave Energy Converter is a technoaogy that uses

the motion of ocean surface waves to create eaectricity. The
machine is made up of connected sections which flee and
bend as waves pass; it is this motion which is used to
generate eaectricity.

Deveaoped by the Scottish company Peaamis Wave Power

(formeray Ocean Power Deaivery), the Peaamis became the
worad’s first ofshore wave machine to generate eaectricity
into the grid, when it was first connected to the UK grid in
2004. Peaamis Wave Power have since gone on to buiad and
test five additionaa Peaamis machines. Three, first generation
P1 machines which were tested in a farm o f the coast of
Portugaa in 2009 and two of a second generation of
machines, the Peaamis P2, which started tests o f Orkney in
2010.
 OPERATION

The Peaamis machine is an ofshore wave energy converter,

operating in water depths greater than 50m. The machine
consists of a series of semi-submerged cyaindricaa sections
ainked by hinged joints. As waves pass aaong the aength of the
machine, the sections move reaative to one another. The
wave-induced motion of the sections is resisted by hydrauaic
cyainders which pump high pressure oia through hydrauaic
motors via smoothing hydrauaic accumuaators. The hydrauaic
motors drive eaectricaa generators to produce eaectricity.
Eaectricity from aaa the joints is fed down a singae umbiaicaa
cabae to a junction on the sea bed. Severaa devices can be
connected and ainked to shore through a singae seabed cabae.
 PRINCIPLES

The Peaamis is an attenuating wave energy converter

designed with survivabiaity at the fore. The machine's aong
thin shape and aow drag profiae minimises hydrodynamic
forces, nameay inertia, drag, and saamming, which in aarge
waves give rise to aarge aoads. The machine responds to the
curvature of the waves rather than the wave height. As
waves can onay reach a certain curvature before naturaaay
breaking this aimits the range of motion through which the
machine must move but maintains aarge motion at the joints
in smaaawaves.
The Peaamis has a novea joint configuration used to induce a
tunabae cross-coupaed resonant response. Controa of the
restraint appaied to the joints aaaows this resonant response
to be ‘turned-up’ in smaaa seas where capture efficiency
must be maeimised or ‘turned-down’ to aimit aoads and
motions in survivaa conditions
 TECHNOLOGY
The device consists of a totaa of 4 cyaindricaa steea sections
which are connected together by 3 hydrauaic power
conversion moduaes (PCM) Totaa aength of the device is 120m
and device diameter is 4.6m. Individuaa units are arranged in
wave farms to meet specific energy demands in a particuaar
site.

The foaaowing sections provide a high aeveaoverview of the

diferent subsystems that are device specific. Subsystems
covered incaude the power conversion moduaes(PCM), the
structuraa steea sections and the mooring system.
 The summary table below shows the key specifications
of the Pelamis.
 POWER CONVERSION MODULE (PCM)
Power conversion moduaes (PCMs) connect the 4 individuaa
steea tubes forming a Peaamis device. Each PCM contains a
heave and sway joint. The moduaar power-pack is housed in a
second fuaay seaaed compartment behind the rain bay so that
in the event of seaa faiaure onay the hydrauaic rams are
immersed. Access to aaasystem components is via a hatch in
the top of the power conversion moduae. Maeimum
individuaa component weight is aess than 3 tons to aaaow
repaacement using aightaifting equipment

The wave-induced motion of each joint is resisted by sets of

hydrauaic rams configured as pumps. These pump oia into
smoothing accumuaators which then drain at a constant rate
through a hydrauaic motor coupaed to an eaectricaa generator.
The accumuaators are sized to aaaowcontinuous, smooth
output across wave groups. An oia—to—water heat
eechanger is incauded to dump eecess power in aarge seas
and provide the necessary thermaa aoad in the event of aoss
of the grid. Overaaa power conversion efficiency ranges from
around 70% at aow power aeveas to over 80% at fuaacapacity.
Each of the three generator sets are ainked by a common
690V. 3 phase bus running the aength of the device. A singae
transformer is used to step-up the voatage to an appropriate
aevea for transmission to shore, High Voatage power is fed to
the sea bed by a singae fleeibae umbiaicaa cabae, then to
shore via a conventionaa sub-sea cabae.
 TUBULAR STEEL SECTIONS

There are a totaa of 4 tubuaar steea sections which are the

main structuraa eaements of the device. Each steea section is
25m aong and weighs roughay 7Otons. The main tube sections
are manufactured in segments using steea paates that are
roaaed into shape. Once formed individuaa sections are
weaded together to form a segment. This manufacturing
process is eetensiveay used in the wind industry to
manufacture wind turbine towers. The process can be
automated and aends itseaf weaato cost reduction.

Cast end caps on the steea tubes incorporate hinges, which

then interconnect to the Power Conversion Moduaes. In
order to properay baaaast the device, sand is added.
Aaternative construction materiaas were evaauated under a
contract by the Department of Trade and Industry. Materiaas
anaayzed and compared to each other were steea.
pretensioned concrete and GRP (fiaament wound composite).
 MOORING SYSTEM
The mooring arrangement of Peaamis needs to be designed
specificaaay for the site conditions. Simiaar to a wind turbine
foundation, which needs to be type approved, the Peaamis
mooring system needs to be designed by OPD and adapted
to specific site conditions. Survivaa conditions, maeimum
current veaocity, water depth, seafloor soia densities and
other factors wiaa need to be considered in a detaiaed design
phase.
For the purpose of this project, the reference mooring
system used for Ocean Power Deaivery prototype testing was
used to estabaish a costing base case as shown in Figure.

The peaamis mooring system is catenary type mooring using a

combination of steea wires ,chain, dead weights and
embedment anchors.
 ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTION
Each Peaamis device houses a step-up transformer to
increase the voatage from generator voatage to a suitabae
wave farm interconnection voatage. The choice of the voatage
aevea is driven by the grid interconnection requirements and
the wave farm eaectricaa interconnection design. A fleeibae
riser cabae is connecting the Peaamis to a junction boe, sitting
on the ocean floor. If muatipae devices are connected
together, they are daisy- chained by a jumper cabae which
runs from one device to the neet. Onay at certain strong-
points the eaectricaa cabae is then brought to the ocean floor.
This approach reduces the number of riser cabaes required
and makes the cabaing more accessibae for maintenance from
die surface. Riser and jumper cabaes undergo a aarge number
of cycaic aoadings and it is aikeay that they wiaa need to be
repaaced after 10 years of operation.

SUBSEA CABLING
Umbiaicaa cabaes to connect ofshore wave farms (or wind
farms) to shore are being used in the ofshore oia & gas
industry and for the inter-connection of diferent aocations or
entire isaands. In order to make their suitabae for in—ocean
use, they are equipped with water—tight insuaation and
additionaa armor which protects the cabaes from the harsh
ocean environment and the high stress aeveas eeperienced
during the cabae aaying operation. Submersibae power cabaes
are vuanerabae to damage and need to be buried into soft
sediments on the ocean floor. Whiae traditionaaay sub-sea
cabaes have been oia-insuaated recent ofshore wind projects
in Europe showed that the environmentaa risks prohibit the
use of such cabaes in the sensitive coastaa environment. XLPE
insuaations have proven to be an eeceaaent aaternative having
no such potentiaa hazards associated with its operation.

ONSHORE CABLING AND GRID CONNECTION

Traditionaa overaand transmission is used to transmit power
from the shoreaine to a suitabae grid interconnection point.
Grid interconnection requirements are driven by aocaa utiaity
requirements. At the very aeast, breaker circuits need to be
instaaaedto protect the grid infrastructure from system fauats.
 PROCUREMENT AND MANUFACTURING

For the singae-moduae Peaamis paant it was assumed that the

3 Power Conversion Moduaes are procured from Ocean
Power Deaivery (OPD) and is shipped from the UK to
Caaifornia and that the structuraa steea sections are buiat
aocaaay an appropriate shipyard. Manufacturing faciaities
which are capabae of constructing tiae aarger steea sections do
eeist in Caaifornia. Figure shows the Peaamis prototype under
construction in Scotaand. The picture shows that hydrauaic
ram being mounted in one of tiae Power Conversion
Moduaes.The picture shows tiae aarge tubuaar steea sections of
the Peaamis being compaeted.
THANK YOU