Startside
Op

Power take off (PTO)

As PTO a ordinary air tubine could be used. Most other OWC uses a Wells turbine this is not the case here as the air flow has been recified.

An ordinary wind turbine can teoretical take up to 59 % of the energy out of the wind as some of the energy has to be used to push the air behind the wind turbine away. By the principle of this WEC there will be a pressure in front of the air turbine and a suck behind the air turbine that sucks the air away. What efficiency that can be achieved by using an ordinary air tubine has not yet been determined but 90 % seems realistic.

The reason why Wells turbines is not used is that there are 120 tubes in the WEC, it would then be necessary to put one Wells turbine and one generator in each tube. It is planned for 8 turbines and 8 generators in this WEC. When air is rectified the air flow can put pressure on one the inlet of the turbine and sucking on the outlet. This will give a higher efficiency. In a standard one tube OWC with a Wells turbine the air that leaves the turbine has a high velocity. This kinetec energy is used to push the air outside the turbine away and decreases the efficiency of the turbine.

In this constuction it is possible to have a big holes over each tube coverved with a light weight flap valve that directs the air in the wanted direction when it is open. Hereby pressure loss and turbulences are very low.