Transcript Jesse Melendez, Krissi Koller and Lauren Salvadeo

• First the sun heats the earth’s air which produces wind that
blows over the water and creates waves.
• Buoys that are constructed to use the waves to produce
electricity are placed on the ocean’s surface.
• Inside the buoy there is an electric coil secured directly to
the buoy surrounding a magnetic shaft which is anchored to
the sea floor. The waves cause the coil to move up and
down around the magnetic shaft, voltage is induced and
electricity is generated. The electricity is transported
through cables.
• Each buoy has the potential to produce over 250 kilowatts
of electricity.
• Waves can also be bent or focused into a
narrow channel that directs that waves into a
reservoir built on cliffs above sea level.
• The channel enhances the power and size of the
waves, which increases the amount of electricity
that can be produced.
• The waves flow through turbines in the channel
that spin to generate electricity.
Advantages
• Once installed, wave systems are not
expensive to operate or even to
maintain regularly.
• A non-polluting energy source.
• It is a renewable energy source.
• This type of energy is free, no fuel
needed or waste produced.
Disadvantages
• They must be able to endure very
harsh weather.
• May have a variable energy supply
since it depends on the waves.
• During construction it may disrupt
wildlife.
• Since wave energy is relatively
new, equipment to make the
turbines are expensive.
The Creation of a Wave
•Waves could be formed from three
different situations:
Gravity: Causes low and high tides. The
rising and falling of the water levels
creates waves.
Earthquakes: Pushes the water away
from the epicenter of the quake.
Wind: Another energy source
Wave Farms
The joints of the tubes
act as a pumping
system. They push high
pressure oil through a
series of hydraulic
motors which causes the
generators to produce
electricity.
There is a wave farm off
the Portuguese coast
and England, Scotland,
and Spain want to
develop them as well.
Works Cited
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/4157
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/10/01/portuga
l-builds-worlds-first-commerical-wavefarm/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/64108
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