Electrical power generation from the sea waves for sustainable advancement in renewable energy technologies
摘要
The availability of dependable electricity in the world market is an issue of concern, especially in the rural areas where much of the rural population does not have access to basic power. There are some renewable energy technologies that provide alternative power to the traditional fossil-based system, and ocean wave energy is an opportunity that is not fully exploited yet. This paper presents and experimentally tests two simple wave energy conversion systems, which can be used to generate small scale electricity. The previous system involves a micro-hydro generator system powered by pressurized water flowing into it whereas the latter system involves a raft-powered wave power generator that transforms the movement of the waves into electricity. The two prototypes were planned, made and experimented under controlled laboratory conditions to test their electrical performance. According to the experimental findings, the micro-hydro generator was able to generate the highest voltage of up to 11.9 V at a pressure situation of 12 bar, and with the approximation current output of 20 mA, which equates to a power output of 0.1–0.2 W. The suggested devices depict a streamlined structure whereby the fabrication cost of the product is about 33.81 and 14.35 respectively. The findings emphasize the potential of creating affordable wave energy harvesting instruments that can be used in political small-scale applications and educative displays. The originality of this research work is the creation and comparative analysis of two low-tech and economically feasible wave energy prototype designs which ultimately strive to simplify structural designs and still retain functional energy conversion potential.