Development of a Wave-Driven Pump for Energy Production

Abstract

Since the year of 2014, the oil and gas industry worldwide has experienced a backlash from years of prosperous field developments and implementation of technology for improved recovery. Overproduction of oil and gas has resulted in a tremendous fall in price, halting ongoing projects and rendering initiation of new projects inviable. For countries such as Norway, where the consequences of this recession are severe, authorities are reminded of the fragility of the industry. This brings forth renewed attention to neighbouring industries, such as wind- and wave energy.

As governments and large energy companies are turning their attention towards renewable energy, 2016 has become an opportune time for developers and inventors of renewable energy technology to attain funding for continued development. In Norway, there has been a growing focus on wind energy. Still one does not need to travel far to reach countries with increasing interests in ocean wave energy.

This document presents a new concept for harvesting the energy of motion in ocean waves for production of electric energy and as a method of transporting seawater to a desalination plant. The concept is the student’s contribution to the world’s arsenal of renewable energy alternatives and a proposal to help satisfying the global demand for clean water.

With focus on the process of product and technology development, the report comprises the stepwise process from generating an idea to conceptual testing and proof of concept. This includes describing the train of thoughts regarding how the concept is supposed to function and expressing how this is new compared to other concepts. The process also includes generation of multiple potentially marketable products based on the concept, and selection of the product deemed best suited for further development into a commercial product. This was done by the combination of following an industry-used product development process and implementing problem-solving solutions inspired by- or already used in the oil and gas industry.

Furthermore, the report covers the concept’s mode of operations. This laid the foundation for determining an embryonic conclusion to the concept’s energy production potential, a milestone that to most new concepts determines the project’s ability to succeed in the form of “sink or swim”. The final part of the project regards the development of a prototype for conducting various tests, from which an array of design criteria could be determined. The establishment of these criteria, however, will only serve its purpose if the concept-development project is allowed the opportunity of continuation post thesis. Typically initiated either from funding granted by the government, or by corporate takeover from sale of the idea.