Offshore deployments of wave energy converters by Uppsala University, Sweden

Ocean can provide an inexhaustible amount of energy. Many marine energy converters have been developed but most of them have not surpassed the experimental phase due to the high costs in installation, operation, and maintenance. Since 2002 Uppsala University has developed and deployed several units of wave energy converters of various designs. The Uppsala University wave energy converter concept consists of a linear generator directly connected to a point absorber buoy that is mounted on a concrete gravity foundation. Uppsala University deployments have been carried out using different deployment vessels and methods. Three main methods were utilized for these deployments that are discussed in terms of cost, manpower, and time efficiency. Depending on the desired outcome—multiple- or single-device deployment, low budget, etc.—one of the proposed methods can be used for the optimal outcome

Offshore deployments of marine energy converters

The depletion warning of non-renewable resources, such as gas, coal and oil, and the imminent effects of climate change turned the attention to clean and fossil fuel-free generated electricity. University research groups worldwide are studying solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and ocean energy harvesting. The focus of this thesis is the wave and marine current energy researched at the division of Electricity at Uppsala University (UU).  The main drawbacks that hinder the commercialization of marine energy converter devices is a high installation, operation, maintenance and decommissioning cost. Furthermore, these processes are highly weather dependent and thus, can be time consuming beyond planning. In this thesis, an evaluation of the cost, time and safety efficiency of the devices’ offshore deployment (both wave and marine current), and a comparative evaluation regarding the safety in the use of divers and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are conducted. Moreover, a risk analysis study for a common deployment barge while installing an UU wave energy converter (WEC) is presented with the aim to investigate the failure of the crane hoisting system. The UU wave energy project have been initiated in 2001, and since then 14 WECs of various designs have been developed and deployed offshore, at the Lysekil research site (LRS), on the Swedish west coast and in Åland, Finland. The UU device is a point absorber with a linear generator power take off. It is secured on the seabed by a concrete gravity foundation. The absorbed wave energy is transmitted to shore through the marine substation (MS) where all the generators are interconnected. In 2008 an UU spin-off company, Seabased AB (SAB), was established and so far has developed and installed several WECs and two MSs, after the UU devices main principle. SAB deployments were conducted in Sotenäs, Sweden, at the Maren test site (MTS) in Norway; and in Ada Foah, Ghana. The active participation and the thorough study of the above deployments led to a cost, time and safety evaluation of the methods followed. Four main methods were identified and the most suitable one can be chosen depending on the deployment type, for example, for single or mass device deployment. The first UU full scale marine current energy converter (MCEC) was constructed in 2007 at the Ångström Laboratory and deployed at Söderfors, in the river Dalälven in March 2013. The UU turbine is of a vertical axis type and is connected to a directly driven permanent magnet synchronous generator of a low-speed. With this deployment as an example, four MCEC installation methods were proposed and evaluated in terms of cost and time efficiency. A comparative study on the use of divers and ROVs for the deployment and maintenance of WECs at the LRS has been carried out, showing the potential time and costs saved when using ROVs instead of divers in underwater operations. The main restrictions when using divers and ROVs were presented. Most importantly, the modelling introduced is generalized for most types of wave energy technologies, since it does not depend on the structure size or type. Finally, a table of safe launch operation of a WEC is presented. In this table the safe, restrictive and prohibitive sea states are found for a single WEC deployment, using a barge and a crane placed on it. The table can be utilized as a guidance for offshore operations safety and can be extended for a variety of device types and vessels

Offshore deployments of marine energy converters

The depletion warning of non-renewable resources, such as gas, coal and oil, and the imminent effects of climate change turned the attention to clean and fossil fuel-free generated electricity. University research groups worldwide are studying solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and ocean energy harvesting. The focus of this thesis is the wave and marine current energy researched at the division of Electricity at Uppsala University (UU).  The main drawbacks that hinder the commercialization of marine energy converter devices is a high installation, operation, maintenance and decommissioning cost. Furthermore, these processes are highly weather dependent and thus, can be time consuming beyond planning. In this thesis, an evaluation of the cost, time and safety efficiency of the devices’ offshore deployment (both wave and marine current), and a comparative evaluation regarding the safety in the use of divers and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are conducted. Moreover, a risk analysis study for a common deployment barge while installing an UU wave energy converter (WEC) is presented with the aim to investigate the failure of the crane hoisting system. The UU wave energy project have been initiated in 2001, and since then 14 WECs of various designs have been developed and deployed offshore, at the Lysekil research site (LRS), on the Swedish west coast and in Åland, Finland. The UU device is a point absorber with a linear generator power take off. It is secured on the seabed by a concrete gravity foundation. The absorbed wave energy is transmitted to shore through the marine substation (MS) where all the generators are interconnected. In 2008 an UU spin-off company, Seabased AB (SAB), was established and so far has developed and installed several WECs and two MSs, after the UU devices main principle. SAB deployments were conducted in Sotenäs, Sweden, at the Maren test site (MTS) in Norway; and in Ada Foah, Ghana. The active participation and the thorough study of the above deployments led to a cost, time and safety evaluation of the methods followed. Four main methods were identified and the most suitable one can be chosen depending on the deployment type, for example, for single or mass device deployment. The first UU full scale marine current energy converter (MCEC) was constructed in 2007 at the Ångström Laboratory and deployed at Söderfors, in the river Dalälven in March 2013. The UU turbine is of a vertical axis type and is connected to a directly driven permanent magnet synchronous generator of a low-speed. With this deployment as an example, four MCEC installation methods were proposed and evaluated in terms of cost and time efficiency. A comparative study on the use of divers and ROVs for the deployment and maintenance of WECs at the LRS has been carried out, showing the potential time and costs saved when using ROVs instead of divers in underwater operations. The main restrictions when using divers and ROVs were presented. Most importantly, the modelling introduced is generalized for most types of wave energy technologies, since it does not depend on the structure size or type. Finally, a table of safe launch operation of a WEC is presented. In this table the safe, restrictive and prohibitive sea states are found for a single WEC deployment, using a barge and a crane placed on it. The table can be utilized as a guidance for offshore operations safety and can be extended for a variety of device types and vessels

Offshore Deployments of Wave Energy Converters by Seabased Industry AB

Since 2008, Seabased Industry AB (SIAB) has manufactured and deployed several units of wave energy converters (WECs) of different design. The WECs are linear generators with point absorber buoy systems that are placed on the seabed, mounted on a gravitation concrete foundation. These deployments have taken place in different areas, using different deployment vessels. Offshore deployments of WECs and underwater substations have so far been complicated procedures, that were both expensive and time-consuming. The focus of this paper is to discuss these deployments in terms of economy and time efficiency, as well as safety. Because seven vessels have been used to facilitate the deployments, an evaluation on the above basis is carried out for them. The main conclusions and certain solutions are presented for the various problems encountered during these deployments and the vessel choice is discussed. It is found that the offshore deployment process can be optimized in terms of cost, time efficiency and safety with a careful vessel choice, use of the latest available technologies and detailed planning and organizing

Numerical analysis of an Uppsala University WEC deployment by a barge for different sea states

Wave energy converters (WECs) have been deployed onshore, nearshore, and offshore to convert ocean wave movement into electricity. The exploitation of renewable energy sources has restrictions; in the case of wave energy, high installation, maintenance, and decommissioning costs have limited their commercial use. Moreover, these offshore operations can be compromised by safety issues. This paper draws attention to offshore operation safety of a WEC developed by Uppsala University. Specifically, this paper investigates what sea states are suitable for the safe deployment of a WEC from a barge. This study follows recommendations in DNV-RP-H103 for analysis of offshore operations, namely lifting through the wave zone. ANSYS Aqwa is used to find hydrodynamic forces acting on a typical barge, using frequency domain analysis. Based on these hydrodynamic simulation results and methodology given in DNV-RP-H103, tables are created to show the sea states that would allow for the safe installation of a WEC using a typical barge. Considered sea states have significant wave heights varying between 0 m and 3 m and the wave zero crossing periods varying between 3 s and 13 s. The WEC submersions are considered between 0 m and 7 m, i.e. when the WEC is in the air until it is fully submerged

Deployment and Maintenance of Wave Energy Converters at the Lysekil Research Site : A Comparative Study on the Use of Divers and Remotely-Operated Vehicles

Ocean renewable technologies have been rapidly developing over the past years. However, current high installation, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning costs are hindering these offshore technologies to reach a commercialization stage. In this paper we focus on the use of divers and remotely-operated vehicles during the installation and monitoring phase of wave energy converters. Methods and results are based on the wave energy converter system developed by Uppsala University, and our experience in offshore deployments obtained during the past eleven years. The complexity of underwater operations, carried out by either divers or remotely-operated vehicles, is emphasized. Three methods for the deployment of wave energy converters are economically and technically analyzed and compared: one using divers alone, a fully-automated approach using remotely-operated vehicles, and an intermediate approach, involving both divers and underwater vehicles. The monitoring of wave energy converters by robots is also studied, both in terms of costs and technical challenges. The results show that choosing an autonomous deployment method is more advantageous than a diver-assisted method in terms of operational time, but that numerous factors prevent the wide application of robotized operations. Technical solutions are presented to enable the use of remotely-operated vehicles instead of divers in ocean renewable technology operations. Economically, it is more efficient to use divers than autonomous vehicles for the deployment of six or fewer wave energy converters. From seven devices, remotely-operated vehicles become advantageous

Experimental Test of Grid Connected VSC to Improve the Power Quality in a Wave Power System

This paper provides an overview of electric power conversion system installed at the Lysekil research site, located at the west coast of Sweden. The electric power conversion system consists of rectifiers, rectifying the power from the wave energy converters, a DC-link and a grid-tied inverter. The paper focuses on the performance of the inverter and the filter and presents experimental results obtained during the grid integration