Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the Pacific
Most wave energy converters (WECs) are designed to operate in high-latitude energetic seas, limiting their performance in regions usually dominated by milder conditions. The present study assesses the performance of complete test-stage WECs in farms that satisfy a decentralized energy scheme (DES) o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/9/11/1264 |
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| author | Emiliano Gorr-Pozzi Héctor García-Nava Marco Larrañaga Melissa G. Jaramillo-Torres Manuel G. Verduzco-Zapata |
| author_facet | Emiliano Gorr-Pozzi Héctor García-Nava Marco Larrañaga Melissa G. Jaramillo-Torres Manuel G. Verduzco-Zapata |
| author_sort | Emiliano Gorr-Pozzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Most wave energy converters (WECs) are designed to operate in high-latitude energetic seas, limiting their performance in regions usually dominated by milder conditions. The present study assesses the performance of complete test-stage WECs in farms that satisfy a decentralized energy scheme (DES) on the coast of Baja California, which is considered one of the most energetic regions along the Mexican Pacific. A high-resolution 11-year nearshore wave hindcast was performed and validated with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) data to characterize the wave energy resource in the study area. Two hotspots were identified from the wave power climatology. In these sites, the extractive capacities of seven well-known WEC technologies were determined based on their power matrices. Finally, the power extracted by small WEC farms, with the minimum number of devices required to satisfy a DES, was estimated. The studied region has moderate wave power availability with marked seasonality and low inter-annual variability. Out of all the evaluated devices, WaveDragon extracts the highest wave power; however, Pelamis has the best performance, with maximum monthly mean capacity factors up to 40%. Coupling WEC farms with storage modules or hybrid renewable systems are recommended to satisfy a continuous DES during the less energetic summer months. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:22:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8959553b77074d2d84917d779ab0d4a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:22:44Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-8959553b77074d2d84917d779ab0d4a02023-11-22T23:54:09ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122021-11-01911126410.3390/jmse9111264Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the PacificEmiliano Gorr-Pozzi0Héctor García-Nava1Marco Larrañaga2Melissa G. Jaramillo-Torres3Manuel G. Verduzco-Zapata4Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3917, Fraccionamiento Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3917, Fraccionamiento Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, MexicoLEGOS, Université de Toulouse, CNES-CNRS-IRD-UPS, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, FranceInstituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3917, Fraccionamiento Playitas, Ensenada 22860, Baja California, MexicoFacultad de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad de Colima, Carretera Manzanillo-Cihuatlán Km 19.5, Colonia El Naranjo, Manzanillo 28868, Colima, MexicoMost wave energy converters (WECs) are designed to operate in high-latitude energetic seas, limiting their performance in regions usually dominated by milder conditions. The present study assesses the performance of complete test-stage WECs in farms that satisfy a decentralized energy scheme (DES) on the coast of Baja California, which is considered one of the most energetic regions along the Mexican Pacific. A high-resolution 11-year nearshore wave hindcast was performed and validated with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) data to characterize the wave energy resource in the study area. Two hotspots were identified from the wave power climatology. In these sites, the extractive capacities of seven well-known WEC technologies were determined based on their power matrices. Finally, the power extracted by small WEC farms, with the minimum number of devices required to satisfy a DES, was estimated. The studied region has moderate wave power availability with marked seasonality and low inter-annual variability. Out of all the evaluated devices, WaveDragon extracts the highest wave power; however, Pelamis has the best performance, with maximum monthly mean capacity factors up to 40%. Coupling WEC farms with storage modules or hybrid renewable systems are recommended to satisfy a continuous DES during the less energetic summer months.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/9/11/1264numerical wave modelingmarine renewable energywave energy resourcedecentralized energy scheme |
| spellingShingle | Emiliano Gorr-Pozzi Héctor García-Nava Marco Larrañaga Melissa G. Jaramillo-Torres Manuel G. Verduzco-Zapata Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the Pacific Journal of Marine Science and Engineering numerical wave modeling marine renewable energy wave energy resource decentralized energy scheme |
| title | Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the Pacific |
| title_full | Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the Pacific |
| title_fullStr | Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the Pacific |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the Pacific |
| title_short | Wave Energy Resource Harnessing Assessment in a Subtropical Coastal Region of the Pacific |
| title_sort | wave energy resource harnessing assessment in a subtropical coastal region of the pacific |
| topic | numerical wave modeling marine renewable energy wave energy resource decentralized energy scheme |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/9/11/1264 |
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