WAVE POWER CONVERSION BY A PROTOTYPE WAVE POWER EXTRACTING CAISSON IN SAKATA PORT

Abstract

Ocean wave energy is clean and inexhaustible. Repeated oil crises and the urgent need for environmental preservation on a global scale have made utilization of ocean wave energy increasingly important. The Japanese Ministry of Transport has been developing a wave power extracting caisson breakwater which can absorb wave power and convert it into electric power. The breakwater shown in Fig.l is a composite breakwater with a special caisson for absorption and conversion of wave power. The caisson has a so-called air chamber where wave power is converted into air power. The air power activates a turbine-generator in the machine room on the caisson. The use of the breakwater as a wave power converter will effectively cut down the power generation cost. This breakwater also aims at the improvement of the wave resisting stability and performance as a breakwater by absorbing the wave energy.