Wave Energy Project In Norway

One set of multi resonance oscillating water column power station with capacity of 500kW and one set of wave convergence reservoir power station with capacity of 350kW were built in an island near to Bergen of Norway in the middle of 1980s. The 500kW power station has been put into operation in 1985, which was input 120,000 US dollars.

Sites selection was placed in an escarpment facing to the North Sea. The width and depth of air chamber were all 7m. A harbor with the length of about 6m is confronted in the front. The generation sets adopted a symmetrical wing turbine with the diameter of 2m. The variable rotational speed and constant frequency institution ensured the voltage and frequency can be steady in the output of motor.

After being conducted an air chamber experiment for a year, the power station continued its normal operation for more than 2 years. But it was failed in the overall design of the power station. The results for 3 years operation showed that the annual average output was only limited to 5kW which was far lower than that of the design. Much more misfortune was happened that the steel structure in the rooftop of air chamber was knocked down and turbo generation sets was fallen into the sea attacked by an intense storm at Dec. of 1988. It was said that the wave height exceeded 20m.

The 350kW wave convergence reservoir power station was completed its construction in 1986 and operated until 1991. The key technology of the power station was regarding the trumpet wave convergence equipment with the contracting opening of 60m and wedge-shaped guide channel in the length of 30m which would be narrowed gradually. While the wave was flowed into the end of wider guide channel and transited into inner, the wave height was amplified until the wave peak was overflowed to the wall to convert the wave energy into potential energy. A reservoir with the area of about 8500m2 and 3-8m head loss with the sea level were connected to the guide channel. The generator was employed the conventional turbo generator sets. The constructor said that the conversion efficiency was in the region of 65% to 75%, the impact on wave height and period could be almost neglected. The annual average output power on the power station was approximately 75kW, which can be considered to be a successful wave power station.