The OCEAN WAVE POWER STATION (OWPS) will be presented at “Our Ocean Challenge” demo day in Dordrecht, the Netherlands today.
OWPS consists of two large vessels that support a framework with floating standard 45 foot container-sized pontoons. Continuous long ocean waves (so-called swell) move the pontoons that activate huge wing pumps. The pumps circulate a closed fresh water circuit up to 50 meters high pressure-equalizing reservoirs. From those reservoirs the water drops down through wide tubes to create waterfalls that generate continuous kinetic hydro-electricity.
The OWPS costs can be optimized in a wide range of aspects; e.g. through the use of recycled single hull tankers on sale for scrap metal prices. The vessels enable the OWPS to freely turn in the direction of the waves. Alternatively the vessels can be replaced by other floating entities or, in shallow seas, by rocks or concrete pillars, allowing larger or smaller fixed pontoon formations.