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The Promise of Wave Energy:

Text notes to accompany the lecture of
Dr. Ted Brekken

Focus on "Energy Outlook" slide

Interesting where we get our energy

- U.S. is the "Saudi Arabia" of coal - 50% of our energy from that source
- we take down whole mountains (e.g., in Appalachia) to get at coal
- HOWEVER, U.S. is now the world leader in wind energy

- it takes 26 acres of land to support the typical U.S. lifestyle
- it takes 1 acre of land to support the typical lifestyle in India

Focus on "Wave Energy" slide

- altnerative energy from ocean can come from FIVE sources: tides, currents, temperature gradients (refrigeration process in reverse), salinity (pressure differential, very minimal source), and wave energy

- wave energy is by the largest resource. It is essentially energy from the heaving motion of ocean swells

Focus on "Where Do Waves Come From?" slide

- Recall Dr. Wright's lectures 16 and 17 on waves

- waves are also a concentrated form of SOLAR energy! Why? Uneven heating of the Earth's surface (solar energy) causes winds. Recall that it is the WIND that generates progressive waves out in the ocean (sea, swell, and the surf)

- water does not move across the ocean, the energy does. Energy is handed off to neighboring water particles via orbital motions

- typical Oregon wave is 25 mph

- if double the wave height, that translates to 4 times the amount of power!

Focus on "Power From Ocean Waves" slide

- the best wave resources on the west coasts of continents, and toward the poles (e.g., west coast of U.S., Europe, west and south coast of Australia)

- seasonal variation is important (e.g., bigger waves in the winter)

- interestingly enough, we EXPORT a lot of the energy we produce in Oregon to California!

- Oregon is a great place for wave energy. We already have lots of transmission lines from the many paper and pulp mills along the coast that are no longer active. We can still use those power lines to distribute energy.

- Oregon is #5 in the country for wind energy, and tops also in wave energy development, solar energy (Eastern Oregon), hydro power, and even geothermal

Focus on "OSU Facilities to Advance Wave Energy"

- OSU has TWO world-class facilities on campus for advancing wave energy. OSU baseball and football rock, but THIS is something to really be proud of too!

- The Wallace Energy Systems and Renewables Facility (WESRF): generates the highest power output of any university energy lab in the whole U.S.
- The O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Lab (HWRL). We showed a video of the hurricane wave-maker in this lab during Lecture 17.

- OSU is academic leader in wave energy research. Pelamis Power (from Scotland) is industrial leader. U. of Washington is an academic leader in tidal energy research (Puget Sound)

Focus on "Oregon State University Conceptual Wave Park" slide

- Dr. Brekken described FOUR main technologies currently in use to harness energy from waves
- The point absorber method is being developed here at OSU
- a single buoy on the ocean surface
- single column (spar) is moored to the seafloor (sandy areas are best)
- magnets on the column are connected to floats
- coils around magnets
- ocean wave moves the coils up and down past the magnets. This generate the electricity
- a light on top of the buoy flashes whenever energy is being created, showing that the energy comes in pulses (power bursts)

Focus on "Wave Energy and Local Community" slide

- wave energy vs. crab fishery; sandy areas are also perfect for crab pots. OSU has set aside money to reimbursement crab fishers for lost equipment

Review slides on "Wave Energy Park Environmental Issues"

- will take long time to change perception that wave energy equipment harmful to wildlife, just as perceptions need to be changed that wind turbines are the biggest killers of birds (house cats by far kill more birds!)

Review slides on "Wave Energy Park Environmental Issues"

- will take long time to change perception that wave energy equipment harmful to wildlife, just as perceptions need to be changed that wind turbines are the biggest killers of birds (house cats by far kill more birds!)

Review slides on "Wave Energy Park Environmental Issues"

- will take long time to change perception that wave energy equipment harmful to wildlife, just as perceptions need to be changed that wind turbines are the biggest killers of birds (house cats by far kill more birds!)
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