MANRIQUEZ, CHRIS PAUL C.

EEE117

NARRATIVE REPORT ABOUT POWER TAKE-OFF SYTEM OF WEC

About 71% of Earth surface is mostly covered with bodies of water, 96.5 of it is our ocean. With these vast area of ocean
resources researchers and engineers decided to make use of it as a new concept of renewable energy. These leads to the development
of wave energy converter (WEC), which captures the energy from ocean waves and converts it into electrical power. As of today, wave
energy converter (WEC) is still been under development and studied to make it more efficient and less costly. In producing and
developing wave energy converter (WEC) many factors are need to be considered and has to put focus to. One important part of wave
energy converter is its power take-off system. This narrative report purpose is to provide my own comprehensive insights overview of
the power take-off (PTO) systems used in wave energy converters (WEC).

Power take-off system of wave energy converter is the one responsible for how the device converts the ocean waves into
mechanical motion or energy into a useable electrical power. It is one of the major factors that affect the efficiency of a wave energy
converter on how ocean waves are being manage to produce electrical power. In short words, designing a power take-off system is not
easy. First thing I learned in designing the power take-off system of WEC is that there are three factors needed to be considered, which
are energy sources, environmental condition and scaling.

In what I have learned from the reporters, the first factor which is energy sources is about where will be the source of wave
energy for power take-off system. As been discussed there are three types in which wave energy converter can be installed, it is either
onshore, offshore or near shore. In these three different types energy sources for power take-off changes. For example, for in offshore
cases has larger waves that are being considered unlike in both nearshore and onshore. In this case different design of power take-off
system are utilized. Moving forward, for the second factor which talks about environmental conditions. It is also important to consider
environmental condition when designing power take-off system, by considering this factor we make sure that out power take-off
system are capable on running and still be efficient in producing electrical power in different environmental condition. To be able to
consider this factor several data are gathered and then be interpreted. Some examples of data are ocean deep, ocean currents, wind
directions and the changes in weather condition. For the last, we will talk about scaling. It plays a crucial role in designing wave energy
converter as it is the process of adjusting the size and characteristics of the power take-off system to improve its performance. Scaling
could be done through actual testing, laboratory testing or numerical modeling.

Second thing I learned is about the types of power take-off system which are air turbine, hydraulic converters, hydro turbines,
direct mechanical drive system and direct electrical drive system. For the first type which is air turbines it is a system that utilizes air
chamber, turbines and generator. Ocean wave are converted into fluid power which makes the water level goes up and down in the air
chamber and produces wind energy to drive the turbine. Mechanical energy of the turbine is then converted to electrical power
through a generator. Similarly, to air turbine is the hydro turbine but instead of using wave to produce airflow to drive the turbine it
uses an overtopping device using sea water as fluid to drive the turbine. Additionally, hydraulic converters utilize the use of piston,
accumulator, motor and generator. Piston and accumulator are where fluid power is being utilize, then the fluid power drive the motor
to produce mechanical power that are then converted by the generator into electrical power. As for the fourth system which is direct
mechanical drive system, from the word itself direct mechanical it is a type of power take-off system which utilize the ocean wave to
directly converting mechanical energy of an oscillating body to produce electrical power. Some design uses buoy for this type of design.
Last type is the direct electrical drive system. In this design ocean waves captured by the primary converter is directly coupled to the
moving part of the linear electrical generator.

In addition to what I have learned when designing a power take-off system is that the levelized cost of energy (LCoE) of a WEC
is directly influence by its design. Power take-off system has a direct impact in the efficiency of power conversion which make a change
in annual energy production. Also, while designing a power take-off, we need a capital cost, hence it has also direct impact in the total
capital cost. In short word a power take-off system which has higher efficiency and lower cost decreases the levelized cost of energy
(LCoE) which is better.

While listening to the reporter and having my own research reading about power take-off for academic purposes I found some
interesting parts, this involve the types of power take-off system particularly in the way how ocean wave is being utilize. Power take-
off system is much more interesting when watching videos on how it really functions unlike just reading book and articles. Although,
POT itself still need improvement for more efficient and cost friendly system. I’m much more interested on how engineers and
researchers take advantage of advancing technology devices in the near future for wave energy sector.

As a graduating electrical engineering student who is eager to learn day by day what I wanted to learn more about power
take-off system is about its control strategy. The reason why I wanted to learn more about this topic is first, I’m not that attentive during
this part of discussion of the reporting also I haven’t read this part in the book. Additionally, it would be nice to study and research
more not just about power take-off but the wave energy sector as a whole. As future engineers some of us may contribute in this sector
in the near future.