physics

Oyster wave energy converter

Oyster wave energy converter is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Oyster wave energy converter rather than just read about it. In short: The Oyster was a hydro-electric wave energy device that used the motion of ocean waves to generate electricity. It was made up of a Power Connector Frame (PCF), which is bolted to the seabed, and a Power Capture Unit (PCU).

Key takeaways

Oyster wave energy converter belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Oyster wave energy converter to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oyster wave energy converter from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Oyster was a hydro-electric wave energy device that used the motion of ocean waves to generate electricity. It was made up of a Power Connector Frame (PCF), which is bolted to the seabed, and a Power Capture Unit (PCU). The PCU is a hinged buoyant flap that moves back and forth with movement of the waves. The movement of the flap drives two hydraulic pistons that feed high-pressured water to an onshore hydro-electric turbine, which drives a generator to make electricity. Oyster was stationed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) at its Billia Croo site in Orkney, Scotland until the company ceased trading in 2015. Aquamarine Power installed Oyster at the EMEC in August 2009. On 20 November 2009, Oyster was officially launched and connected to the National Grid (UK) by the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond. Development work was started to build a more efficient and powerful second-generation device, Oyster 2.

History Oyster was developed by Edinburgh-based Aquamarine Power, a company that focuses on wave energy. The concept originated from research at Queen's University, Belfast, led by professor Trevor Whittaker, Head of the Wave Power Research Centre at Queen's. Aquamarine Power also teamed up with Renewable Technology Ventures Ltd (STVL), a subsidiary of Scottish and Southern Energy (SEE), to fund the Oyster project. Aquamarine Power was able to secure a £6.3m investment from Scottish Enterprise. In addition, Scottish Enterprises awarded Aquamarine Power a £3.15 million grant from the Wave and Tidal Energy: Research, Development and Demonstration Support fund (WATERS). Aquamarine Power also received £1.5m from Sigma Capital Group plc. Altogether, Aquamarine Power was able to raise £11 million to stage this project. In June 2009, Aquamarine Power signed a £2.5 million contract with Fugro Seacore to install the Oyster device at the European Marine Energy Centre test site at Billia Croo. Oyster was installed 400 metres offshore, west of the Orkney mainland, in 12 metre-deep water. Oyster was installed in August 2009; however it was officially launched on 20 November 2009 by the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond. That same day, Oyster was connected the National Grid (UK) and began generating electricity. Aquamarine Power hoped to commercialize Oyster and signed an agreement with Scottish and Southern Energy to develop up to 1000MW of wave farms by 2020. However, the test programme ended in 2015, when the company failed to find investors and ceased trading.

Operation Oyster harnessed the energy of near-shore ocean waves; it was designed to operate in water 10 to 12 metres deep. The Oyster is made up of a Power Connector Frame (PCF) and a Power Capture Unit (PCU). The 36-ton PCF is bolted to the seabed by 1-by-4 meter concrete piles that are drilled 14 metres deep into the seabed. The PCF requires careful and accurate positioning and leveling to compensate for the uneven, rocky seabed. The PCU is a 200-ton, 18-by-12-by-4 metre buoyant flap that is hinged to the PCF. In order to lower the PCU into the water to hinge it to the PCF, 120 tons of seawater must be pumped into ballast tanks within the PCU to provide sufficient negative buoyancy to aid its descent into the water. The PCU is almost entirely submerged underwater; only 2 metres of the device poke above the water. The PCU sways back and forth with the movement of the waves, and this movement of the flap drives two hydraulic pistons that pump high-pressured water through three sub-sea pipeline to an onshore hydro-electric water turbine. The turbine then drives a 315 kW electrical generator, which converts the wave energy into electricity. The European Marine Energy Centre classifies Oyster as an Oscillating Wave Surge Converter:

Potential There are several advantages to using a device like the Oyster:

Oyster itself has few moving parts underwater. Its simplicity allows for survivability: in extreme weather conditions, Oyster's hinged flap can simply move and duck under large waves. Because all of Oyster's electrical components are located onshore, the hydro-electric generator is accessible for maintenance 24/7. The actual Oyster device is near shore, making it easily accessible, as well. Oyster used renewable energy from ocean waves to generates clean, zero-emission electricity. This minimizes the environmental risks involved compared to electricity that is produced from fossil fuels. The Carbon Trust estimated that each Oyster device can avoid over 500 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere annually. Aquamarine Power estimated that a farm of 20 Oyster units could produce enough energy to power 9,000 homes. According to the Aquamarine Power's CEO Martin McAdam: A successful Oyster project would unlock £3-4 million of capital expenditure per MW installed, of which a significant proportion would be invested in the Orkney economy. A commercial wave farm could therefore represent a significant boost to the local economy and would provide long-term skilled jobs for local residents. Ongoing operations and maintenance would generate a further £150,000 per annum to the local economy.

Aquamarine Power hoped to commercialize and expand the Oyster technology. Ronan Doherty, Chief Technical Officer of Aquamarine Power, found that coastlines off Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Britain, United States, South Africa, Australia and Chile have great wave energy potential and would be ideal places to install Oyster. Doherty predicted that the Oyster market has a £50 billion potential.

Challenges There are also many disadvantages to using a device like the Oyster:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oyster wave energy converter

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oyster wave energy converter claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Oyster wave energy converter before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Oyster wave energy converter ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Oyster wave energy converter

In research: Oyster wave energy converter appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Oyster wave energy converter in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Oyster wave energy converter is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2009 establishments in Scotland, 2009 introductions, Electrical generators, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oyster wave energy converter outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Oyster wave energy converter” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Oyster wave energy converter in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oyster wave energy converter means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Oyster wave energy converter out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oyster wave energy converter in simple terms?

Why does Oyster wave energy converter matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Oyster wave energy converter?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Oyster wave energy converter.