Development and Testing of a Submerged Buoy Wave Power System
This paper summarizes activity to date and discusses future activity in the NAF development. The combination of numerical computations, model testing in the U.C. Berkeley ship model testing facility, and 5kW prototype testing at sea led to some encouraging findings about the NAF response to real wave conditions, but also demonstrated deficiencies in our original thoughts for a power take off system for the NAF. A combination of numerical computations, model testing in the controlled environment of a tow tank, and scale prototype testing at sea led to some encouraging findings about a wave energy conversion devise coined the "NAF" but also demonstrated deficiencies in the propeller generator power take off approach. The experience led to a new approach to power take off where all the mechanical to electrical power generation equipment are to be housed inside the NAF body and an exterior shape that results in lower drag and less impact ocean sea life. EARLY DEVELOPMENT Since 2000, AeroVironment Inc. has been leading research and development into the NAF for ocean wave power generation (MacCready, Zambrano and Hibbs, 2003) Devices have been tested in the laboratory and at sea (see Figure 1) and numerical analyses have been refined in its' response to true wave conditions, particularly for Gulf of Mexico metocean conditions.