Large-Area Appliqu¿ Removal

The program proposed by OPT is a multi-pronged effort aimed at improving the energy conversion efficiency of ocean waves to electrical power by a factor of 5. It is about fundamental improvements in the physics and engineering of the conversion process andnot about, e.g., building larger structures at lower manufacturing and deployment costs, which, although important, will come later when these improvements have been established. The goal of this program is to increase the power output of the basic OPTmodule from 20 kW to 100 kW. There are several key sub-systems involved in this improvement and these will be optimized and analyzed in detail in the program. 1. Wave Energy Capture Buoy: converts wave height into linear motion in the buoy.2. HydraulicCylinder/Motor: Converts (very) slow linear motion to high speed rotary shaft motion.3. Electrical Generator: Shaft common to hydraulic motor; produces electrical power output roughly proportional to the square of the shaft speed. The increasedperformance of these sub-systems will be the end result of the Phase I effort and lay the foundation for future work.The demand for energy is huge and universal. This R&D program will produce renewable (non-polluting) wave powered energy at 5 times lowercost than currently available. The significance of the opportunity is potentially enormous in both the commercial and military sectors. This is particularly true for remote areas such as islands in the Pacific where the cost of importing and storing dieselfuel is exorbitant (¿ 25c/kWh) and the wave climate is ideal. The local populace (which includes US Navy bases in many cases) benefits. In addition, the Navy has unique requirements for powering autonomous systems that, realistically, can not be done anyother way.