Offshore Deployment of Point Absorbing Wave Energy Converters With a Direct Driven Linear Generator Power Take-Off at the Lysekil Test Site

摘要

Within the year 2013, four linear generators with point absorber buoy systems were deployed in the Lysekil test site. Until now, deployments of these point absorbing wave energy converters have been expensive, time consuming, complicated and raised safety issues. In the present paper, we focus on the analysis and optimization of the offshore deployment process of wave energy converters with a linear generator power take-off which has been constructed by Uppsala University. To address the crucial issues regarding the deployment difficulties, case study of previous offshore deployments at the Lysekil test site are presented regarding such parameters as safety, cost and time efficiency. It was discovered that the deployment process can be improved significantly, mainly by using new technologies, e.g., new specialized deployment vessels, underwater robots for inspections and for connecting cables and an automatized pressurizing process. Addressing the main deployment difficulties and constrains leads us to discovery of methods that makes offshore deployments more cost-efficient and faster, in a safety context.