physics

Wavebob

Wavebob 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 Wavebob rather than just read about it. In short: Wavebob was a wave energy converter which was in development between 1999 and 2013 when the company was closed owing to funding difficulties. The device was an axisymetric self-reacting heaving buoy point absorber.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Wavebob was a wave energy converter which was in development between 1999 and 2013 when the company was closed owing to funding difficulties. The device was an axisymetric self-reacting heaving buoy point absorber. It consisted of two oscillating structures, a floating collar or torus which followed the motion of the waves, and a central section containing the power-take-off at the top and a buoyancy-controlling tank below the water. Wavebob Ltd. commenced the first of a number of sea trials in Galway Bay in Ireland during which it was tested as a 1/4 scale device for short periods at the SEAI 1/4 Scale Wave Power Testing facility which is located in the inner bay inside the natural Aran Islands breakwater and where devices under test are exposed to around 1/3 of the expected energy of the 'Full Atlantic Ocean'.

Technology Wavebob used the lift and fall of ocean waves to drive generators The Wavebob consisted of two oscillating structures. These structures must be able to absorb in a variety of conditions and be robust to survive in the harsh marine environment. The structures are controlled by a damping system that can respond to predicted wave height, wave power and frequency. The tank structure (a semi-submerged body) uses captured sea water mass as the majority of its inertial mass. This significantly reduces the cost associated with structural materials. The technology was developed over a decade, including tank testing at 1:100, 1:75, and 1:25 scale, benign sea conditions at 1:17 scale, and finally two sets of advanced development model (ADM) tests at 1:4 scale in Galway Bay. The first (ADM1) in 2006 produced power at sea for the first time, and the second (ADM2) in 2007 confirming the capability in a range of sea conditions. Wavebob developed its business through an Open Innovation Model and was partnered with leading energy companies such as Chevron and Vattenfall. It briefly established a joint venture company with Vattenfall called Tonn Energy to develop commercial wave farms off the west coast of Ireland; tonn is the Irish language word for wave.

Company milestones 1999: Original patents filed 2007: CEO appointed; head office in Maynooth established 2013: Company Closed Down.

See also Wave power Marine Institute Ireland OE buoy

References

Further reading Falnes, Johannes (2002). Ocean Waves and Oscillating Systems. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-01749-1., 288 pp. McCormick, Michael (2007). Ocean Wave Energy Conversion. Dover. ISBN 0-486-46245-5., 256 pp.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wavebob

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wavebob 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 Wavebob 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 Wavebob 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 Wavebob

In research: Wavebob 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 Wavebob 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: Wavebob is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Wave energy converters, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wavebob 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.

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How to study Wavebob in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wavebob 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 Wavebob out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wavebob in simple terms?

Why does Wavebob 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 Wavebob?

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 Wavebob.