Ocean Engng. Vol. 5, pp. 67-74. Pergamon Press 1978.

Printed in Great Britain

WIND-WAVE POWER AVAILABLE TO A WAVE ENERGY

CONVERTER ARRAY

M. E. MCCORMICK*
V.S., Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081, U.S.A.

Abstract--A theoretical expression of the wave power striking a rectilinear array of wave
energy conver tion devices in a random sea is derived. The theory is then applied to a linear array
which is 1 km in length. For purposes of illustration, the Pierson-Neumann-James directional
spectrum is used to represent the random sea. Comparison of the results obtained by using the
present theory with those obtained from the previously accepted theory shows significant
differences. First, the maximum available power predicted by the present theory is 75 % of that
predicted by the former theory. Secondly, power transmission is predicted when the wind direc-
tion and the array axis are parallel, whereas no power transmission was formerly predicted
for this condition.

1. I N T R O D U C T I O N
BECAUSE of both dwindling supplies and increasing costs of fossil fuels we have launched
rather intensive research and development programs in the alternate energy resource areas
of the oceans. These include the energies of wind-waves (Isaacs et al., 1976; Panicker, 1976),
ocean thermal gradients (Dugger, 1975), salinity gradients (Loeb, 1975), tides (Gray and
Gashus, 1972; Wilson, 1973), and ocean currents (Sheets, 1975). The reader is also referred
to the review paper by Richards (1976).
The most conspicuous energy source of the oceans is the wind-wave. For this reason
many inventors have devised methods of converting wave energy to more usable forms. An
excellent review of wave energy conversion techniques is given by Baird (1968). Also, a
more recent review is given by L. S. Slotta in the Proceedings of the Wave and Salinity
Gradient Energy Workshop which was sponsored by the U.S. Energy Research and
Development Administration, see ERDA (1976).
One of the most promising wave energy conversion devices is that of Salter et al. (1976)
which is known as the 'nodding duck'. This device is greater than 80 ~o efficient in converting
wave energy into mechanical energy over a rather wide period range. The rotating 'ducks'
are arranged such that their axes of rotation are colinear and, hopefully, parallel to the
predominant wave crest. There are other conversion devices which are similarly situated in
a straight line which is parallel to the predominant wave crest. It is the purpose of this paper
to present a theoretical analysis of the wave power available to a line array of wave energy
converters. The analysis is similar to that outlined by W. J. Pierson, see ERDA (1976).

2. A N A L Y S I S
A random sea in deep water can be thought of as being composed of numerous linear
waves of various heights and periods, as was done by Pierson (1952). In the present analysis
we make that assumption and deal with the wave power of each component wave. Referring
*Also, Professor of ocean engineering, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland 21402, U.S.A. and
Consultant, Solar Energy Division, Ocean Systems Branch, U.S. Energy Research and Development
Administration, Washington, D.C. 20545, U.S.A.
67
68 M . E . McCoRMICK

t/w
z

/7 ,,!

FIG. 1. Component waves in the jth direction.

to Fig. 1, the power of the ith wave travelling in thejth direction, as predicted by linear wave
theory (see, for example, McCormick, 1973) is

Pg~ H" I; i i (1)

Pij "- 16 to;

where c0~ is the circular wave frequency

coi ..... 2re~T; (2)

T sbeing the wave period, p is the mass density of salt water (1,030 kg/m3), g is the gravita-
tional constant (9.81 m/seO) and, referring to Fig. 2, lj is the projection of the wave energy
conversion array length, L, on the wave crest, i.e.

/ t -= L cos (0r). (3)

Wind
dlrectton

8
'b p~

\Wave energy converter Grr{3y

FIG. 2. Coordinate system and notation.

The total wave power transmitted past lj in the jth direction is then

pg2 L ,~ H'ij cos (01) ij (4)

PJ 16 ;=~ cos
 Wind-wave power available to a wave energy converter array 69

and the total wave power transmitted to the array which is convertible is

= ej cos i
/'= I
(5)

16 j=l ]=1 coi

Equation (5) is useful to those making site investigations of the wave energy resource, m is
the number of waves studied in each of the n directions. Obviously, equation (5) is an
approximation, the accuracy of which increases with increasing m and n.
We must now find an expression for H 0 (oi, 0j). Our choice is that determined by G.
Neumann and discussed at length by Pierson (1955): From observed wave heights and
periods, Neumann obtained the following relationship:

Ho = C~ To2e-(gTd2nu)' (6)

where H o and To are the observed wave height and period, respectively, and U is the wind
speed. The observed period is the center-band period of a bandwidth AT. Thus, H o is
actually a result of all waves within AT. Let us now square the expression of equation (6)
while allowing AT to shrink to a minute value fiT, and let

C12 --> C2 8T (7)

referring to Pierson (1955) or Kinsman (1965). The result is

H 2 = C2T4e -s(gT/2nu)' f i T
(8)
= 4[A(co)]z 80

where [A(to)]2 is the energy spectrum. Since the period bandwidth in equation (8) is infinitesi-
mal the period T is now the spectral period. Pierson et al. (1953), modified the Neumann
point spectrum to include directionality. Their result is

==I C2T4 e--2OrT/2nU)'cos2('~) ~T

H2 (T, 0) ~ 4[A(co, 0)]280), for --n/2 < O < ~/2 (9)

= 0, otherwise

where, referring to Fig. 2,

= 0 - 0 w. (lo)

Now combine equations (5) and (9) to obtain the expression of the power transmitted
to the device.
70 M.E. McCORMICK

Px -- 9g~LCa ~- ~ T/~ e-2(gr/z.m, cos 2 (~j) cos 2 (0j) 8 T i i,

32x J=~ s=~
(11)
__ pg"L ~ ~ A((o i, "Oj)~cos2 (0) 803, i.
4 i=1 j=t 0) i

In the limit as m - oo and n ~, oo equation (11) becomes

oo x + 0 ,

Px T:' e --2(~'r/z~v;" cos 2 (0) cos 2 (0) dO dT i

32n z
0 --~rt b 0 w
(12)
oo ,In ~- 0 w

pg~L. ( ( A(co, "~)2cos 2 (0)dO do)i.

4n J J o)
0 --~x + 0

Although the upper limit of the period integration is infinite, a more practical upper limit
is the period for which the phase velocity, c. and the wind speed are equal. For deep water
we can write
gT;
c ~--. . . . . . . . . U (13)
2x
or

2nU 27r
L. . . . . . . . . . . (14)
g 0)e

Thus, equation (12) can be practically expressed as

Te ~n + 0 ,

Px--pg2LC~ff32xz 0 --~n q 0 ,
T a e -2(gT/2rtU)' cos 2 (0) cos z (0) dO d T i. 05)

The limits of integration of the angular integration are based on the assumption that no
wind-wave power propagates in a direction opposite to the wind direction.
Integration of equation (15) yields

Px = 0.0202p ~t
- -~7LC2
- [i -t- ~cos (20~)1 U 6 i. (16)

3. E X A M P L E
Consider a linear array of wave energy conversion devices as schematically shown in
Fig. 2. Assume that the array is moored in deep water and has a length of 1 kin. From Pierson
 Wind-wave power available to a wave energy converter array 71

(1955) the constant C2 in equation (16) has a value of 12, 2/25rP m2/sec 5. Thus, equation (16)
is

P~ = 0.856 [1 4- cos (20w) ] U 6 i (17)

in kg-m2/sec 3. Results of equation (17) are presented in both Table 1 and in Fig. 3, where
both wind direction and wind speed are varied.

8 w (degrees) t

lid I

IO U

Q~

[0-I

///
I0
-2
IlL L
5 JO J$
U, m/sec

FiG. 3. Power line-density as a function of the wind speed for three wind directions.

TABLE I.

0, (degrees) U(m/sec) Beaufort Wind Force P~(MW)

0 5 3 0.0201
I0 5 1.28
15 7 14.6
45 5 3 0.0134
I0 5 0.856
15 7 9.75
90 5 3 0.0070
10 5 0.428
15 7 4.87
72 M.E. McCORMICK

4. P R E V I O U S ANALYTICAL METHOD
Many wave power analysts have neglected the directionality of the power by using the
expression
co ~n -i 0,,

p~ pg2L " A( ~, 0)" dO dco cos z (0,~.) i. 1.18)

16r o~

Comparison of this expression with that of equation (12), where the cut-off frequency in the
limits of the 0-integration has not been introduced, shows a subtle but significant difference.
That is the cos 2 (0) in the integrand of equation (15) is replaced by cos 2 (0w) which is inde-
pendent of the integration. Physically, equation (18) assumes that the net power in the
direction of the wind supplies the power to the wave energy converter array. The integration
of equation (18) yields

P~ =~ 0.0404P ~rt:'LC2 cos2(0,,,) U~ i (19)

g4

when the Pierson-Neumann-James spectrum is used. Comparing equations (16) and (19),
we see that

' 2cos ~ (0w) "~ (20)

where Px, and Px, are the magnitudes of the respective powers obtained from the present
analysis, equation (16), and the formerly used analysis, equation (19).
Applying equation (19) to our 1 km array yields

Px = 1,71 cos 2 (0w) U 6 i (21)

Results obtained from this expression are given in Fig. 4 along with those results obtained
from equation (17).

I../" f .... _L 1 L~- , ~ e

- "rr l 2 - rr l 4 O Tr l 4 w12 W

FIG. 4. Comparison of magnitudes of the theoretical powers predicted by the present (P~I)
and former (P~) theories.
 Wind-wave power available to a wave energy converter array 73

5. DISCUSSION
A comparison of the two theoretical expressions of equations (16) and (19) show that
the present theory predicts ~ of the maximum power predicted by the formerly accepted
theory, the maximum value occurring when the wind direction is normal to the line array of
energy converters. When the wind direction is parallel to the line array the present theory
predicts a power transmission of the maximum value, that is ~ the value obtained when
0 w ----0. The former theory predicts no power transmission under this condition. It must be
kept in mind that these results are obtained by representing the random sea by the Pierson-
Neumann-James directional spectrum. Variations of these results will occur when other
spectra are used. For example, see Mitsuyasu et al. (1975) for a different directional
behaviour, and the book by Price and Bishop (1974) for a review of more recent spectra.

6. CONCLUSIONS
The results presented herein show that significant wave power is available to a linear
array of wave energy converters in the off-design configuration, i.e. where the wind direction
and the array are parallel. The maximum power is three times that of the off-design power
and occurs when the wind direction is normal to the array.
The previously accepted method of analysis was simply to determine the sum of the
wave power components in the wind direction and then to take the component of this sum
in the direction normal to the array. This results in a higher design power transmission and
a zero off-design transmission.
When a wind driven sea is fully developed, the wave crests have curvatures since part of
the wave energy is redistributed to the quiet waters at the sides of the wind patch. The
angular variation of the wave height due to this energy distribution is that which was
observed by Arthur (1949) and led to the Pierson-Neumann-James (PNJ) directional
spectrum. There have been refinements in the directional spectrum since 1953, one of the
more recent being that of Mitsuhasu et al. (1975). For the purpose of this study, however,
the PNJ spectrum is satisfactory, i.e. to present a method of analysis of the power trans-
mission to a line array of energy conversion devices.
Finally, the reader should realize that the present theory is derived by considering the
wave power which is a vector quantity. Thus, the directional variation must be implicit in
the analysis and not simply 'tacked on' as was previously done.

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74 M.E. MCCORMICK

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