Status and Prospect of the Evaluation of the Global Wave Energy Resource

Abstract

Background: With the increasingly serious energy and environmental crises and shortages of conventional energy such as coal and oil, humans have been focusing on new energy sources, especially the abundant wave energy resource. Previous researchers have made great contributions to the design of wave energy converters and have also applied for many patents. However, advanced comprehensive wave energy evaluation and application systems are still scarce, which results in the primitive state of wave energy evaluation. Methods: The goal of this work is to overview the status and prospects of the evaluation of global wave energy to find an effective method to evaluate wave energy resources. This study divides the wave energy evaluation into 4 historical periods according to the data source. The future focus for wave energy resource evaluation is also presented in this study. Results: The wave energy evaluation includes 4 periods: the observational wave data period, the satellite-derived wave data period, the hindcast (simulation wave data from a wave model) wave data period and the reanalysis wave data period. In future research, the focus of wave energy evaluation should include the swell energy, the climatic characteristics of the wave energy resource, the characteristics of marine environments, the mid-to-long-term prediction of wave energy, the short-term forecasting of wave energy, and the evaluation of resources at a particular site. Conclusion: A scientific evaluation framework and application system (software) is urgently needed to provide a basis for decisions for the development of wave power generation, desalination and other developments of wave energy and to promote the sustainable development of human society.

Air pressure forecasting for the Mutriku oscillating‐water‐column wave power plant: Review and case study

“…Also, the overall capture efficiency and the WEC's lifespan had a relevant impact on the system's stability [52][53][54][55]. The utilization factor of wave energy was closely related with the significant wave height [53,56], whereas energy quality was determined by the energy level occurrence [57]. Ultimately, Zheng et al suggested several improvement opportunities for the wave energy prediction capacity, such as the incorporation of climate prediction methods and the application of numerical simulation methods and swell propagation characteristics.…”

“…The authors concluded that long-term climate trends and predictability of wave energy still remained scarce. Also, the overall capture efficiency and the WEC's lifespan had a relevant impact on the system's stability [52][53][54][55]. The utilization factor of wave energy was closely related with the significant wave height [53,56], whereas energy quality was determined by the energy level occurrence [57].…”

Impact of extreme events on conversion efficiency of wave energy converter

“…The wave energy potential of a region depends on height of the waves which again depend on speed, duration, and fetch of the wind flowing in that region. 14,15,16 According to Sisco et al, 17 changes in climatic trend have impacted the normal pattern of climatic parameters such as wind speed and its duration in many parts of the world. As a result, potential of wave energy has also changed on those locations.…”

“…However, as with the other alternative sources of energy, variations in regular climatic pattern due to the global warming affect the wave energy potential and average wave power level of a region. The wave energy potential of a region depends on height of the waves which again depend on speed, duration, and fetch of the wind flowing in that region . According to Sisco et al, changes in climatic trend have impacted the normal pattern of climatic parameters such as wind speed and its duration in many parts of the world.…”

Wave energy analysis based on simulation wave data in the China Sea

“…Abundant and nonpollution wave energy has become a particular area of interest for the developed countries. Understanding the characteristics of wave energy resources is very important for the utilization of wave energy program [8], such as wave power generation.…”