Wave Power Converters

Oceans cover 70% of the planet. Waves are generated by the winds blowing over the oceans. The correlation between wind and wave power is very close. In fact, wave power is proportional to the wind speed in the 5th power. Annual average power levels between 40 and 90 kW/m of ocean front have been measured along the North Atlantic Ocean. Very few full sized wave energy converters have been built to date and the majority of research teams involved in this challenge have been studying different principles. However, systems based on the principle of the oscillating water column have been investigated independently by different groups in the UK, Ireland, Japan, India, Denmark and Norway.