A wave energy system based on peristaltic pumping of air by sea waves

Oscillating water column type of wave energy converters have attracted researchers and engineers working on the field of renewable energy systems, despite the problems caused by the alternating direction of air flow through the turbines. This problem has been circumvented by the use of single direction of rotation turbines such as Wells, Denniss-Auld and omnidirectional impulse turbines, albeit with rather low efficiencies. The authors have considered the usage of near-sinusoidal (cnoidal) form of sea waves as the drivers for the linear peristaltic pumping of air along a channel. The conceived device is an inverted U-shaped channel on a barge, aligned in the direction of wave and serves as a channel for the progress of waveform. Air is driven through the channel by peristaltic action to achieve a unidirectional air flow at the leeward end of the channel. An end-wall operated by a float experiencing heaving and surging motions at the leeward side of the channel prevents the escape of pumped air, which instead is directed to an upward duct leading to a turbine. Since the air flow is unidirectional, the use of more convenient air turbines compared to the ones used in oscillating water column devices are enabled. Air flow parameters with wave amplitudes exceeding and less than channel height above the calm water line are analysed using the Airy wave to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system analytically. It was found that the optimum solution was achieved when the channel top is at the calm water level